BV 1520 .B75 1920 
 Brown, Frank Llewellyn, 
 
 1863- 
 Plans for Sunday school 
 
 evanqelism for pastors. 
 
Plans for Sunday School Evangelism 
 
Plans for Sunday School 
 Evangelism 
 
 For Pastors, Superintendents 
 Teachers and Parents 
 
 DU.( 
 
 By 
 FRANK l/bROWN 
 
 Cineral Secretary World's Stmday School Association 
 {American Section), and Superintendent Biishwick 
 Avenue- Central Sunday School, Brooklyn^ New York 
 
 New York Chicago 
 
 Fleming H. Revell Company 
 
 London and Edinburgh 
 
Copyright, 1920, by 
 FLEMING H. REVELL COMPANY 
 
 New York: 158 Fifth Avenue 
 Chicago : 1 7 North Wabash Ave. 
 London : 2 1 Paternoster Square 
 Edinburgh : 75 Princes Street 
 
To 
 
 MY WIFE 
 
 whose helpful codperatio7t through 
 
 the years has made possible 
 
 my work 
 
Contents 
 
 J. The Sunday School Evangelism's 
 
 Chief Field 9 
 
 II. Graded Evangelism .... 20 
 
 III. Factors in Sunday School Evangel- 
 
 ism 32 
 
 IV. The Sunday School Committee on 
 
 Evangelism 39 
 
 V. The Pastor as a School Shepherd . 43 
 
 VI. The Superintendent — the Assistant 
 
 Shepherd 58 
 
 VII. The Teacher — the Under Shepherd 70 
 
 VIII. Home Cooperation in Evangelism . 91 
 
 IX. Community Cooperative Sunday 
 
 School Evangelism . . .106 
 
 X. Use of Letters and Cards in Evan- 
 
 gelism 124 
 
 XI. Before Decision Day . . ,165 
 
 XII. Decision Day . . . o .184 
 
 XIII. After Decision Day .... 207 
 
 XIV. Literature for Sunday School 
 
 Evangelism 219 
 
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL EVANGELISM'S 
 CHIEF FIELD 
 
 IF it were not for the additions to the 
 Church from the Sunday School the 
 Church in a few generations would be non- 
 existent. The annual increment from the Sun- 
 day School saves the Church from the report of 
 steady losses in membership. In England these 
 additions furnish nearly eighty per cent, of the 
 new members and in America the proportion is 
 variously estimated from eighty to ninety per 
 cent. 
 
 The old order passeth, and we may as well 
 face the fact that the annual church revival, 
 with or without an evangelist, as a method of 
 saving souls and recruiting the church rolls, is 
 passing its day. The reasons for this situation 
 are many. 
 
 The revival is really an attempt to correct the 
 Church's blunder in not holding its young peo- 
 ple through the strategic teen years and in per- 
 mitting these young people to drift away at the 
 very time when God speaks most directly and 
 persuasively to the life. These drifters become 
 
 9 
 
10 Plans for Sunday School Evangelism 
 
 the religious derelicts in every community, and 
 a small percentage of them, estimated at five 
 per cent, of the total, are brought back to the 
 life of the Church through the church revival, 
 a method expensive both as to money, time and 
 energy consumed. If one-twentieth of this ef- 
 fort had been spent upon these folks before 
 they were twenty they would have been won 
 to a Christian life, wreckage avoided and long 
 lives secured for Christian service. 
 
 The conditions of the past have made the 
 revival necessary, and in good degree it has 
 its place to-day. We are still in a transitional 
 stage with great numbers in the community 
 who have slipped away from the Sunday School, 
 more especially before the recent organization 
 of the Sunday School to meet the need of the 
 teen years. 
 
 Some form of special meetings will be always 
 necessary and helpful in deepening the Church's 
 spiritual life, in closely relating that life to its 
 Spiritual Head, and in facing the world to- 
 ward its obligation for world evangelization. I 
 was myself converted in a revival and was 
 brought up in the atmosphere of a revival 
 church. And yet I cannot say that I approve 
 of applying to all ages, and especially to children 
 and young people, the methods and arguments 
 that were aimed primarily at the adult sinner. 
 The best of our evangelists are recognizing this 
 
Evangelism's Chief Field 1 1 
 
 and provide meetings where children and young 
 people are dealt with according to their years. 
 
 Dr. Rowland, who was chairman of the 
 British section of the International Lesson 
 Committee, said : " Our duty in the Sunday 
 School is to bring a cargo to port, not a dere- 
 'lict." Just here is the true strategy of the 
 Church — to hold the whole life cargo for Christ 
 and, by statesmanlike work, to prevent the 
 derelicts which later become the subjects of the 
 Church's serious effort. 
 
 A New Jersey Church Board had before it 
 two propositions; one to vote $1,000 as the 
 share of that church in the expenses of an evan- 
 gelist who was to be jointly employed by the 
 churches of that place. The other was a re- 
 quest to the Board to vote $50 for a Sunday 
 School workers' library that should equip the 
 officers and teachers to hold and train the schol- 
 ars for Christ. The Board voted the $1,000 
 and turned down the request of the teachers. 
 In other words, they put their sanction upon 
 rescue rather than prevention. 
 
 This plan Is totally against the trend in the 
 modern business life. Railroad companies and 
 manufacturing establishments are finding it 
 more economical to pay for instruction of em- 
 ployees and the public in avoiding accident, and 
 in providing accident-preventing appliances, 
 than in large outlays for damages. And the 
 
1 2 Plans for Sunday School Evangelism 
 
 State is insisting that employers shall equip 
 their places with such appliances. 
 
 " To rescue was the voice of yesterday. To 
 prevent is the Divine whisper of to-day." Mr. 
 Moody has said, " If we can save one genera- 
 tion we have put the devil out of business." 
 God's process is evolution not revolution, for- 
 mation not reformation. 
 
 The great revivalists are themselves deeply 
 impressed with the need of changing the em- 
 phasis in their work from adulthood to those 
 under twenty. 
 
 In one of the Billy Sunday meetings in Bos- 
 ton a test was made of the time when the Chris- 
 tian decision of those present was made. There 
 were 12,000 present. Ten thousand of these, 
 or over eighty per cent, had decided before 
 twenty and 9,000 of them made that decision 
 through the Sunday School. One thousand de- 
 cided after twenty and before forty, thirty-seven 
 after forty, five after fifty and one after sixty. 
 One of the choicest workers in Billy Sunday's 
 force is a lady who works altogether with 
 young people and their teachers and who came 
 to his work from her office as superintendent 
 of Sunday School Evangelism for the New 
 York State Sunday School Association. 
 
 Dr. Chapman made similar tests at the In- 
 ternational Sunday School Convention at San 
 Francisco. Out of 4,000 present 3,260 had 
 
Evangelism's Chief Field 13 
 
 made their Christian decision before twenty. 
 He was so profoundly impressed that he told 
 the writer that it was his purpose in his work 
 thereafter to stress the winning of childhood 
 and youth as the finest strategy in evangelism. 
 
 How fruitful to the Church is Sunday School 
 evangelism is shown in the report of Mr. 
 Marion Lawrance at the International Sunday 
 School Convention at Buffalo. The figures for 
 the quadrennium showed that 67,000 schools 
 had observed Decision Day and that there had 
 been 1,582,575 additions to the Church from 
 the Sunday School, an average of 7,600 for 
 every Sunday in the four years. 
 
 In my own school in Brooklyn, where for 
 thirty-three years we have kept true to the 
 evangelistic aim of the Sunday School, some 
 6,000 have come into the Church from the Sun- 
 day School, an average of nearly two hundred 
 per annum. 
 
 I. The Aim of Sunday School Evangeusm 
 The aim of Sunday School evangelism, I take 
 it, is to bring the scholar at the earliest possible 
 moment into a conscious and intimate relation- 
 ship to God as Father, to Christ as Saviour and 
 Friend, and to the Spirit of Truth, and to 
 launch and guide that life into channels of 
 happy and fruitful service. 
 
 Mr. Trumbull has said : " The function of the 
 
14 Plans for Sunday School Evangelism 
 
 Sunday School is to grow souls possessed by 
 Christ's passion to win souls. It should be 
 keyed to the purpose of giving the gospel to 
 every creature." 
 
 Dr. E. Y. Mullins has beautifully said: " The 
 aim of Sunday School evangelism is the produc- 
 tion or detection of Christian discipleship where 
 it does not exist, to discover its symptoms in 
 the efifort, motives, ideals and struggles of the 
 scholar. We should lead them to the fact and 
 recognition of their ownership by God, to 
 choose Him who has chosen them for His own. 
 We should expect this recognition while young. 
 We should not expect perfect symptoms before 
 we reckon these scholars Christians. Conver- 
 sion keeps a boy a boy with 10,000 nerves to 
 keep him going and not one to keep him quiet." 
 
 2. Christ's Emphasis 
 
 " And Jesus called a little child unto him and 
 set him in the midst of them, and said, Verily 
 I say unto you. Except ye be converted, and be- 
 come as little children, ye shall not enter the 
 Kingdom of Heaven." 
 
 Our work is not primarily to rebuild human 
 ruins but to build lives into Christ from their 
 earliest years. This is the line of sanest and 
 surest advance in answering the prayer " Thy 
 Kingdom come." But the Church of that day 
 misunderstood. They impatiently rebuked the 
 
Evangelism's Chief Field 15 
 
 mothers pressing toward Christ with their chil- 
 dren. " Forbid them not " rang from His 
 lips. 
 
 Mrs. F. H. Burnett has said: "One genera- 
 tion, one entire generation, of all the world of 
 children, understood as they should be, loved as 
 they ask to be, and so developed as they might 
 be, would more than bring in the millennium." 
 
 Dr. George W. Bailey, than whom none has 
 shown a greater passion for the winning of 
 childhood to Christ, has said : " Observation 
 and experience justify the declaration that less 
 time and effort are necessary for the winning of 
 twenty children to Jesus Christ than one adult 
 of say fifty years of age ; and, other things being 
 equal, a child won to Him at ten is worth more 
 in the extension of the Kingdom than many 
 adults converted at fifty years of age." 
 
 3. Evangelism and Education 
 True education must have for its aim the dis- 
 covering, realizing and directing of the spiritual 
 possibilities of the child. The motiving of life 
 is more important than the assembly and com- 
 munication of facts or the ability to reason 
 logically from fact to sequence. Evangelism 
 and education are twin forces with one purpose 
 — to establish a right relationship to God and 
 others. 
 
 The task in religious and secular education 
 
1 6 Plans for Sunday School Evangelism 
 
 is therefore one — to bring the scholar into con- 
 tact with the greatest dynamic for character 
 building and life control. That dynamic we 
 believe to be Jesus Christ. All the curricula 
 of the Sunday School, therefore, should have 
 reference to its value in interpreting Christ in 
 His life, His ideals. His Kingdom and in organ- 
 izing the life of the scholar as Christ's partner 
 in the work of community and world redemp- 
 tion. 
 
 Nicolas Murray Butler has said : " Education 
 is a gradual adjustment to the spiritual posses- 
 sions of the race." 
 
 Said another : " Education is not the training 
 of an intelligence but the development and in- 
 spiration of a soul." 
 
 Addison says : " What sculpture is to a block 
 of marble, such is education to a human soul." 
 
 Said J. P. Monroe: "The question to be 
 asked at the end of an educational step is not 
 'What has the child learned?' but * What has 
 the child become? ' " 
 
 Every child has a right to an answer to four 
 questions : " Whence came I? " " Whither am I 
 going? " " What is God's purpose in my life? " 
 " How can I adjust myself to His plan? " 
 
 The answering of these questions will bring 
 one to the heart of Sunday School evangelism. 
 And the Sunday School is the institution which 
 through its leadership, lessons, literature and 
 
Evangelism's Chief Field 17 
 
 organization must most nearly meet this call 
 of the child for knowledge and guidance. 
 
 4. Sunday Schooi, Evangeusm as a 
 World Force 
 
 The most hopeful and fruitful evangelistic 
 factor in foreign missions is the Sunday- 
 School. It will be increasingly so as the first 
 waves of evangelistic effort in new fields, di- 
 rected chiefly toward adults, subside, and the 
 Church settles down to its educational task. 
 Foreign governments are likely to gradually 
 replace the Christian day school with govern- 
 ment directed primary schools. This will add 
 to the responsibility and the opportunity of the 
 Sunday School as an evangelistic and Christian 
 educational organization. 
 
 This opportunity of the Sunday School is 
 heightened by the fact that great religions like 
 Buddhism have little place for children in their 
 scheme. It is the Christian Sunday School that 
 has brought light and happiness and hope to 
 these four hundred millions of the world's chil- 
 dren. Christ's high valuation of the child will 
 be the winning factor in this world's saving. 
 
 The success of the Christian Sunday School 
 in Japan has stirred up Buddhist leaders to de- 
 velop a great Buddhist Sunday School cam- 
 paign, but there is lacking the leadership, motive 
 and love dynamic essential to success. 
 
l8 Plans for Sunday School Evangelism 
 
 The evangelistic possibilities of the Sunday- 
 School are increased because of the difhculties 
 encountered by the missionaries in getting 
 adults to renounce their ancestral worship. Said 
 a heathen mother as she brought her child to 
 Sunday School : " Take her and train her in 
 your religion. I must die as my ancestors have 
 died." 
 
 A prominent missionary in Japan said to the 
 writer: "We cannot hope to win one in ten 
 thousand of the adult Japanese. We can do 
 anything we want with the children." And the 
 results from the evangelistic campaign which 
 was carried on for several years in Japan proved 
 that the larger number of the adults who came 
 into the Church had received some primary 
 education in the Sunday School. 
 
 A missionary in China said : " If we can get 
 one million in the Sunday Schools of China it 
 will mean one million Christians ten years 
 hence." The influence of the Sunday School 
 child and of Sunday School literature upon the 
 home is a large factor in interesting that home 
 in Christianity. Parents often come to the 
 Sunday School to see what is the secret of the 
 transformation in their child's conduct. 
 
 In India a Hindu said : " We were not afraid 
 of you so long as you lopped ofif the branches, 
 but when you began with the children then you 
 laid the ax at the root of the tree." 
 
Evangelism's Chief Field 19 
 
 And the story is the same in every land. 
 While it saddens one to think it so, the proba- 
 bilities are that practically the entire generation 
 of adults in foreign fields will die off in their old 
 faiths. The strategy for to-morrow is to win 
 the children of to-day. 
 
 Some one has said that God gives us every 
 little while a new generation that we might win 
 it for Christ and thus repair the mistakes of the 
 past. The method of winning the world by 
 winning its childhood is so sure that we can say 
 that we can win the world in any generation 
 when we zuill to do it by gathering its children 
 and young people into the Sunday School, and 
 infusing in the Sunday School the evangelistic 
 passion. 
 
 In India and China a very successful week of 
 evangelism has been held, the purpose being to 
 train a host of adults to a message. The China 
 Sunday School Union has been very active in 
 promoting this plan and in training leaders in 
 conferences for the vitalizing of the religious 
 life of the worker. This movement has ex- 
 tended to Japan and Korea. In South America 
 Sunday School evangelism has been very suc- 
 cessful in winning young people to the Chris- 
 tian standard. A world-wide week of Sunday 
 School evangelism is one of the plans pushed 
 by the World's Sunday School Association to 
 hasten Christ's conquest of all hearts. 
 
ir 
 
 GRADED EVANGELISM 
 
 WE must aim in the Sunday School for 
 graded evangelistic education and 
 a graded evangelistic appeal. To 
 proceed w^ith the child in developing his relig- 
 ious experience as we would with an adult does 
 violence to the laws of his mental, physical and 
 spiritual Hfe and growth. 
 
 We assume that a child's reHgious experience 
 may be just as real and satisfying as an adult's. 
 The child's experience may be the happiness of 
 a loyal allegiance to his Father, without long 
 and wilful lapses of disobedience. The adult 
 may base his experience upon the kiss of wel- 
 come and forgiveness of the same Father to his 
 prodigal son after the blasting experiences of 
 the far country. The child may feel just as 
 keenly the comparatively slight wrong-doing 
 that has brought a clouded vision of his Father's 
 face, as does the adult in his body-racking sobs, 
 and the same cross avails for both. 
 
 It is a mistake to test a child's Christian ex- 
 perience by an adult measuring rod. It is a 
 mistake to expect " tears of repentant grief " 
 
 20 
 
Graded Evangelism 21 
 
 from those who have not had the far country 
 experience. It would be hypocrisy on their 
 part to pretend this in order to satisfy an adult 
 expectation. 
 
 Let us expect Christ's redemptive work and 
 sweet miracle of grace to operate with those of 
 youngest years and claim these children for 
 Him with the very dawn of intelligence. This 
 would honour His plan and glorify Him more 
 than to reckon them alien children until by an 
 adult process they were brought back to the 
 relationship of children of the family. 
 
 All the facts bear eloquent witness to the rich 
 results of graded evangelistic education and tes- 
 tify to the quality and faithfulness of those who 
 have come into conscious relationship to the 
 King and the Kingdom in very early years. 
 
 Bishop McCabe said he was converted at 
 eight; Henry Drummond at ten; Polycarp at 
 eight. Multitudes of the strongest Christians 
 have made their decision between nine and 
 twelve. 
 
 If Protestantism loses out it will be because 
 it has lost faith in the reality of a child's relig- 
 ious experience and because it has not under- 
 stood and met the crises and needs of the child's 
 and youth's developing religious experience. 
 
 It has been truly said that these children and 
 young people need sympathy, not criticism. 
 We must allow for immaturities. A child is as 
 
22 Plans for Sunday School Evangelism 
 
 sincere as an average adult. They need work 
 to express their Christian life and that work in 
 enthusiasm, unselfishness of aim and quality, 
 will match an adult's. We must believe in 
 them and must not ask too much or see too 
 much. We must not make the barrier higher 
 for children than for adults. They should be 
 led into a relationship of trust and confidence in 
 God. 
 
 We are well aware that in those years from 
 twelve to twenty, when individuality expresses 
 itself, when choices and decisions are made of 
 far-reaching effect upon character and destiny, 
 when young people are caught in the swirl of 
 emotions and impulses as yet uncontrolled, the 
 consciousness of sin and wrong-doing is fre- 
 quently very keen and the soul suffers. 
 
 This makes all the more imperative a wise 
 adaptation of the material for evangelism so 
 that these spiritual variations growing out of 
 the changing physical, social and mental devel- 
 opment shall be adequately met. 
 
 As the Sunday School faces its evangelistic 
 task it should consider: 1. The reasons for 
 graded educational evangelism. 2. The meth- 
 ods of such education. 3. Grading the evangel- 
 istic appeal. 
 
 I. Reasons for Educationai, Evangewsm 
 McKinley has said : *' Educational evangel- 
 
Graded Evangelism 23 
 
 ism is so teaching the gospel that those who are 
 taught shall make proper choices." 
 
 Dr. Mullins says : " Evangelism reckons with 
 the fact that there are crises in the life — turning 
 points in the will." 
 
 What are these crises or turning points to- 
 ward which our educational program should be 
 bent? 
 
 Extensive tests and investigations have been 
 made from time to time by religious educators 
 and evangelists to determine the ages when 
 lasting Christian decisions are usually made. 
 These investigations have been in some in- 
 stances charted. 
 
 Certain general deductions can be stated. 
 The years of general decision are twelve, six- 
 teen and nineteen. 
 
 The chart published by the World's Sunday 
 School Association, showing percentage of con- 
 versions in each year of age from six to thirty- 
 six, based upon the experience of 272 men, 
 gives the average age of conversion as 16.4 
 years. 
 
 In a record of 1,000 British and Canadian 
 Sunday School members, 128 were converted 
 between the ages of eight and twelve; 392 be- 
 tween thirteen and sixteen; 322 between seven- 
 teen and twenty; 118 between twenty-one and 
 twenty-four; 40 between twenty-five and 
 sixty. The percentages show that fifty-two per 
 
24 Plans for Sunday School Evangelism 
 
 cent, confessed Christ before they were sixteen 
 years of age; eighty-four per cent, before 
 twenty; ninety-six per cent, before twenty- 
 four; four per cent, above twenty-four. 
 
 Dr. John R. Mott gives these figures for 1,000 
 conversions : 
 
 Under 20 years of age, 548 
 Between 20 and 30, 337 
 Between 30 and 40, 96 
 Between 40 and 50, 15 
 Between 50 and 60, 3 
 
 Between 60 and 90, 1 
 
 The first 776 graduates of Drew Theological 
 Seminary were converted at an average age of 
 16.4, and the largest number made the decision 
 in their sixteenth year. 
 
 Five hundred and twenty-six officers of the 
 Y. M. C. A. in the British Provinces declare 
 that they received their deepest religious im- 
 pressions at thirteen. Starbuck found the aver- 
 age age of conversion of eighty-six women, 
 whose lives he had studied, to be 13.8. 
 
 A careful study of the rehgious experiences 
 of 1,784 men and women reveals an average 
 conversion age of sixteen. 
 
 Of 500 Christian workers examined 481 re- 
 «:eived that call before they were fifteen. 
 
 Out of thirteen candidates for the ministry 
 
Graded Evangelism 25 
 
 who in a Methodist Conference were asked to 
 tell the story of their conversion, ten were con- 
 verted at thirteen, one at fifteen, one at sixteen 
 and one at seventeen. 
 
 Ninety per cent, of character is fixed before 
 twenty-three years of age; seventy per cent, of 
 all conversions occur before twenty and ninety- 
 six per cent, of them under twenty-five. 
 
 Bishop Daniel A. Goodsell of the Methodist 
 Episcopal Church says: 
 
 " Whenever any audience in an annual con- 
 ference is asked to indicate, by rising, the num- 
 ber who acknowledged Christ before fifteen 
 years of age, two-thirds of the congregation will 
 rise. When those who confessed Christ be- 
 tween fifteen and eighteen are asked to join 
 those standing, five-sixths of those present will 
 be on their feet. The number who confess 
 Christ after twenty-one is very small. Thus 
 the life of the Church depends upon developing 
 Christ in the children more than on the con- 
 version of the mature." 
 
 Yet with all the splendid possibility of win- 
 ning our scholars to Christ while they are mem- 
 bers of the school five out of seven pass out 
 without having confessed Christ. Mr. Law- 
 rance says that twenty per cent, become Chris- 
 tians while in the Sunday School, twenty per 
 cent, after they leave the school, while sixty per 
 cent, make no confession. 
 
26 Plans for Sunday School Evangelism 
 
 2. Methods of Graded Educational Evangelism 
 (a) T}%e graded lessons or the graded uniform 
 lessons. 
 
 The foundation for Christian decision and 
 Christian character is the Word of God so 
 taught that it is understood. The material of 
 the graded lessons has been selected with spe- 
 cial reference to its effect upon religious nur- 
 ture. Its aim is to so assemble the truth that 
 it shall meet the religious need of the pupil at 
 each stage of his progress. 
 
 (6) The graded program. 
 
 Where a school is departmented it will be 
 possible to so build the program for each Sun- 
 day as to songs, Scripture, truth impression and 
 lesson expression as to be within the range of 
 the pupil's understanding and enable him to 
 appropriate it for his own needs. 
 
 (c) Graded supplemental or memory work. 
 
 The graded lessons provide an outline of 
 memory work, hymns, pivotal verses, important 
 passages, which should be impressed by the 
 teacher or the departmental superintendent, 
 through drill, by recitation and by written ex- 
 amination. 
 
 Where the tmiform lessons are used, the 
 school should prepare graded supplemental les- 
 sons covering songs, memorization of impor- 
 
Graded Evangelism 27 
 
 tant verses and sections of Scripture. These 
 should be drilled from the platform or in the 
 class with the purpose of fastening in the mem- 
 ory the material that nourishes the spiritual Hfe. 
 
 (d) Graded evangelistic leaflets. 
 
 These leaflets may contain pivotal verses to 
 help meet the understanding of the age to which 
 they are directed. They may relate the story 
 of some one of their own age who lived a natu- 
 ral, wholesome Christian life, or some one older 
 whose life would be an incentive. It is impor- 
 tant to avoid giving to the younger children 
 material out of the range of their thinking and 
 experience. Wisely graded leaflets will be of 
 highest value in making the Christian life so 
 understood and winsome that decisions will be 
 easily made. 
 
 (e) Graded Christian service. 
 
 Many learn to love by serving. With chil- 
 dren and young people this is a preferred 
 method of finding the Christ. " By serving 
 love will grow." The truth concreted in life 
 and action is irresistible. Graded forms of 
 service will be found a compelling method of 
 teaching evangelism. 
 
 (f) The pastor's week-day graded classes of 
 religious instruction. 
 
28 Plans for Sunday School Evangelism 
 
 Plans for such classes will be suggested in 
 later chapters. These classes furnish one of 
 the very best opportunities in the hands of the 
 right leaders to make the Christian life under- 
 stood and attractive to young people. A pas- 
 tor's helper can of course carry on some of these 
 classes. But the material and method of pres- 
 entation should be graded and the blackboard 
 and object lessons will be found valuable as ad- 
 juncts to the teaching of the Bible truths and 
 the fundamentals of the Christian life. 
 
 The graded Primary, Junior and Intermedi- 
 ate organizations of the school or church may 
 furnish the membership for this teaching. 
 
 3. The Graded Evangelistic Appeal 
 We assume that the character of the appeal 
 for the Christian decision of the scholars should 
 be graded for the same reason that a program 
 and lessons are graded. Different motives, ex- 
 periences and knowledge are found at each stage 
 of development, and these must be taken into 
 account if we do not wish to develop cases of 
 stunted growth or arrested development. 
 
 To be sure, the same sunshine and rain and 
 earth are required by the flower during its en- 
 tire life and it is the same Christ who is the life 
 and atmosphere and sustaining strength of 
 every Christian, young or old. But even Christ 
 recognized there were some things His dis- 
 
Graded Evangelism 29 
 
 ciples could not bear at one point of their train- 
 ing that should be afterward revealed; and that 
 the blade, the ear and the full corn came in suc- 
 cessive pushes of growth. 
 
 What motives for decision shall be appealed 
 to in the graded classes or departments? Many- 
 schools are obliged to use one room with the 
 primaries screened off. If possible it would be 
 better, where ages are mixed in one room, for 
 the pastor or superintendent or teacher to make 
 the appeal to the classes individually rather 
 than in a general service. I know that excel- 
 lent results are obtained in a general appeal if 
 wisely handled, but care should be taken that 
 any such appeal should be framed to meet the 
 need of the youngest ones present and that no 
 one by the method of the appeal is put in the 
 position of opposing Christ. These young peo- 
 ple should be nurtured along until they are led 
 to see Christ and His relationship to them as 
 Lord and Saviour and Friend, and when so led 
 they will rarely refuse to choose Him for life. 
 
 Just a few suggestions in grading the appeal: 
 
 (a) For the Primary Class or Department. 
 
 In this department we are laying the founda- 
 tions for a future public step in leading the child 
 to love God and love others. The teacher's 
 face, voice and spirit is here the largest at- 
 mospherin^: influence. Do not force growth. 
 
3© Plans for Sunday School Evangelism 
 
 Assume and teach the naturalness of loving 
 God as we do our parents and our purpose al- 
 ways to serve Him. In the last year or two of 
 this department, where the classes are graded, 
 such an opportunity to choose Christ as is sug- 
 gested in the chapter on Decision Day may be 
 given. 
 
 (b) The Junior Department. 
 
 It should be expected that some open deci- 
 sion for Christ should be made by each scholar 
 before the thirteenth year. At this age the 
 scholars are not highly emotional. They are 
 matter of fact. They are interested in facts, 
 in history, in heroes. Christ, as the world's 
 Hero, as the boys' and girls' best Friend, as the 
 one who made the supreme sacrifice to save 
 others, will be the best basis of choice. The 
 appeal should be a natural, honest presentation 
 of Christ. 
 
 (c) The Intermediate Department. 
 
 This is distinctly the time of decision accord- 
 ing to general testimony. It is an age of com- 
 radeships, of the shaping of ideals. Great tact 
 and care are needed that in any appeal the 
 young people should not be embarrassed or 
 placed where they may be the subject of ridi- 
 cule. Ordinarily it is best to make a straight, 
 earnest appeal to follow Christ as the world's 
 
Graded Evangelism 31 
 
 greatest Leader and Guide, who meets lu- 
 premely the need of the life for a Saviour and 
 ideal Comrade. 
 
 (d) The Senior Department, 
 
 Here, as in the Intermediate Department, 
 Christ as the one who forgives sin and keeps 
 the life from sin should be presented. And 
 Christ's service as the best for each life, for its 
 joy and development, will at this age of altru- 
 ism find a response. 
 
 One church has found it very valuable and 
 fruitful for the pastor and superintendent, on 
 the Sunday before communion, to go to the dif- 
 ferent departments and so grade the appeal that 
 decisions are regularly registered and additions 
 made to the church month by month. 
 
 Another good plan is the letters of pastor or 
 superintendent or teacher — these letters being 
 graded in their appeal to the ages to be reached. 
 
in 
 
 FACTORS IN SUNDAY SCHOOL EVAN- 
 GELISM 
 
 
 COWORKING WITH GOD 
 
 VERY farmer is in partnership with God. 
 Both are absolutely essential to the har- 
 ^ vest. The farmer has to prepare and 
 cultivate the soil, sow the seed, gather the har- 
 vest. God furnishes the seed, the sun, the satu- 
 ration of the rain and the operation of the 
 chemical ingredients of the soil. This partner- 
 ship has borne results for thousands of years 
 where the human side has not failed God. 
 
 It can be said of the spiritual harvest in the 
 Sunday School that the results are at least 
 ninety per cent, assured where pastor, superin- 
 tendent, teacher and parents, as God's four 
 human partners, do their share. 
 
 We must, therefore, think of evangelistic re- 
 sults in the Sunday School as expected, natural, 
 inevitable, as God's law and God's sure provi- 
 sion, and readjust our thinking and plans to as- 
 certain the factors that make the harvest a 
 certainty and failure the exception. 
 
 Let us consider the six factors entering into 
 the law of the harvest : 
 
 32 
 
Factors in Sunday School Evangelism 33 
 
 1. The Seed. 
 
 Christ has designated this. " The seed is the 
 word of God." The seed is put up in coverings 
 of verses, in larger groupings of chapters, and 
 still larger groupings of books. 
 
 We cannot improve the seed. It is for us 
 rather to select it according to the kind of har- 
 vest desired, grade it to the conditions of the 
 soil and see to it that it is sown at the right 
 time and in the right way. 
 
 Some seed is for broadcast sowing, some has 
 to be drill planted. The drill method has its 
 advantages over the other in that the birds do 
 not pluck it away. " Line upon line, precept 
 upon precept " is the Bible drill method. Un- 
 der Chapter VI, on the superintendent's part in 
 the plan, we shall indicate methods of drilling 
 in the seed. 
 
 2. The Soil. 
 
 The soil is surely the scholar's mind and 
 heart. 
 
 The preparation and cultivation of that soil 
 is the delicate task of all concerned. The study 
 of soils, a knowledge of their chemical ingredi- 
 ents, the enrichment of impoverished soil by 
 the addition of needed elements, improvement 
 by change of crop, are now upon a scientific 
 basis. How much of study is there made of the 
 individual scholar? Do wc put all through the 
 
34 Plans for Sunday School Evangelism 
 
 same treatment and then wonder why the re- 
 sults are so varied and sometimes disappoint- 
 ing? Do we make a study of the different con- 
 ditions arising from subtraction or addition of 
 needed elements in the home life, the different 
 week-day environments, the kind of reading, 
 companionships, amusements which the scholar 
 has? 
 
 It can be safely assumed that no results 
 worth while will be secured if the soil is un- 
 studied, unenriched and only cultivated one 
 hour a week. 
 
 5. The Sower. 
 
 The teacher, the parent, the superintendent, 
 the pastor, all are sowers. In song, in sermon, 
 in the lesson taught, in the word of loving ex- 
 hortation, in the prayer, in the personal inter- 
 est, the letter, the leaflet, the pressure of the 
 hand, the example of a sincere, glad Christian 
 life — in one, or several, or all of these ways — 
 the seed is being surely sown. 
 
 The essential in it all is that there be a vital 
 contact with the Master on the part of the 
 sower, a real love for the work, and some heart 
 and hand and head skill in the sowing. 
 
 Pastor and superintendent need to cowork 
 closely to inspire and instruct the teacher in the 
 art of sowing. 
 
 And of utmost importance too is it that the 
 
Factors in Sunday School Evangelism 35 
 
 parents should be visited personally, or brought 
 together for conference, that those who are 
 most with the scholars, and have the largest 
 opportunity and responsibihty for the seed sow- 
 ing and its growing, should understand the law 
 of the soil and the seed. 
 
 4. Saturation. 
 
 " They that sow in tears shall reap in joy." 
 There can come no harvest without this rain of 
 the spirit, this brooding of the heart over a soul, 
 this anxious interest united with sunshine of 
 life, that is perceived so quickly by the scholar 
 and germinates the seed sown. 
 
 The channel through which the outpouring 
 of the " early and the latter rain " upon the soil 
 of human hearts and wills is accomplished is 
 prevailing prayer. It is that attitude of the 
 worker that expects great things of God, dares 
 great things for God. It is the assurance that 
 claims a promised gift. It is that persistency, 
 because of the drive of love, that will not be 
 denied. 
 
 The effect of this prayer atmosphere is joy, 
 confidence, expectation, possession. And if we 
 are to persuade souls to "seek the pearl of great 
 price " it is because the wealth of its possession 
 is manifest in our face, voice and action. 
 
 We are salesmen of Christ and for Christ. 
 Prayer intensifies our contact with Him and 
 
36 Plan* for Sunday School Evangelism 
 
 givei u< ability and power to preient Him »o 
 that others will want Him. 
 
 The methods of prayer, individually with the 
 scholar, with the parents, collectively with the 
 teachers and special prayer groups, will be dealt 
 with in a later chapter. 
 
 5. Sunshine. 
 
 " Oh man, with heaven in your face, help 
 me." So said one who recognized in another 
 the glow of a sunlit experience. 
 
 " Moses wist not that the skin of his face 
 shone." And in that mountain-top experience 
 Christ's disciples said of Him that He " was 
 transfigured before them : and his face did shine 
 as the sun, and his raiment was white as the 
 light." 
 
 In our Sunday School there was an assistant 
 superintendent whose face shone because he 
 talked much with God. One day he entered the 
 Beginners' Department. A teacher in that de- 
 partment had just told her class that Jesus was 
 not far away, that He was very near to us. 
 Suddenly one of the girls looked up and saw 
 the assistant superintendent and she cried, 
 " Teacher, there is Jesus over there." 
 
 Dr. Henry Van Dyke said that the greatest 
 power a man can have is to make Jesus a reality 
 to others. It is a great thing to naturalize our 
 religious life. This makes for an atmosphere in 
 
Factors in Sunday School Evangelism 37 
 
 the school, class, church, home, under which 
 the seed, well planted, watered with prayer, 
 •hoots up into a healthy stalk under the upward 
 pull of the sun, spreads out in neighbourly con- 
 tacts under the social touch of love, and ripens 
 in matured convictions. 
 
 The Sunday School worker as a Christian 
 optimist can so atmosphere his life as to make 
 the religious appeal irresistible and the Chris- 
 tian life absolutely attractive. Will Moody 
 tells of an apple orchard adjoining his father's 
 place. The owner of that orchard had planted 
 a row of sour apple trees around the orchard to 
 give the boys the impression that all of the 
 apples were of that variety. So Will and the 
 boys kept out. Years afterward, when passing 
 the neighbour's place, the farmer invited Will 
 to have some of his apples. But Will declined, 
 for his memories were soured ones. But the 
 farmer said that inside that sour row were some 
 of the finest apples in the world. 
 
 Sour exteriors never recommend the goods 
 of salvation. Sunshine is the best salesman. 
 
 6. The Sickle. 
 
 How and when shall we put in the sickle? 
 Not always can we judge by surface indications. 
 A wise teacher can frequently discern the effect 
 of certain lessons. The intuitions of the heart 
 rarely fail, and even blunders, where the love is 
 
38 Plans for Sunday School Evangelism 
 
 real, may make for blessed results. And it 
 is better thus to err than, in indifference, to pass 
 the time of harvest. 
 
 There are times and seasons in the school life 
 when nature, the lessons, some school or na- 
 tional event, special meetings, make it advisable 
 to thrust in the sickle. Any Sunday may fur- 
 nish this occasion. The Sunday before com- 
 munion is a choice time. Thanksgiving, the 
 last Sunday of the year, Palm Sunday, Chil- 
 dren's Day, all are golden seasons for a school 
 effort. 
 
 The teacher's hand picking and that of the 
 pastor and superintendent should be going on 
 all the year. 
 
 In Chapter XII plans for harvesting v^^ill be 
 fully suggested. A school without the joy and 
 song of the harvest time has missed its goal and 
 strength. 
 
IV 
 
 THE SUNDAY SCHOOL COMMITTEE 
 ON EVANGELISM 
 
 IN promoting evangelism in the Sunday 
 School it is important that there should be 
 a Committee on Evangelism which shall 
 plan well in advance for Decision Day and 
 throughout the year shall develop a school 
 spirit favourable to evangelism. 
 
 This committee should consist of the pastor, 
 the superintendent and a teacher, in the small 
 school, and in the larger school the department 
 superintendents should be added. This com- 
 mittee has some distinct duties. 
 
 I. Literature 
 
 There is a very rich literature dealing with 
 Sunday School evangelism. This literature in 
 its application to the pastor, the superintendent, 
 the teacher, the scholar and the parents we shall 
 classify and list in Chapter XIV. The Evan- 
 gelism Committee should know this material 
 and should distribute it at the right time, to 
 prepare for special efforts in connection with 
 
 39 
 
40 Plans for Sunday School Evangelism 
 
 Decision Day and in building Hp the spiritual 
 life of the school. 
 
 For its own guidance the members of the 
 committee should read: 
 
 " Sunday School Evangelism " (Mabie). 
 
 " Educational Evangelism " (McKinley). 
 
 Leaflets on Sunday School Evangelism (In- 
 ternational Sunday School Association). 
 
 "Spiritual Life in the Sunday School" (Chap- 
 man). 
 
 " The Child for Christ " (McKinney). 
 
 2. Methods 
 
 The committee should keep an evangelism 
 record and plan book. In this book should be 
 kept a record of the scholars of the school, their 
 addresses, date, and age of scholar when record 
 is made, and opposite each name should be 
 placed the Christian record, namely, when deci- 
 sion was made for Christ, when they joined the 
 church, and the Christian service of the scholar 
 as officer, teacher, missionary or other work. 
 
 Scholars which the record showed had not 
 come into the church could be made the sub- 
 ject of special mention for prayer in the 
 teachers' prayer gatherings. The literature 
 could be selected with reference to their cases 
 and the right letters sent at the right time en- 
 closing this literature, if in leaflet form. 
 
 This book should also contain a record of 
 
The Sunday School Committee 41 
 
 the best evangelistic literature for use with 
 teachers, scholars and parents. It should also 
 have an account of the best plans of work in 
 promoting Christian decision and in conserving 
 the results of that decision. These methods 
 could be obtained from literature on Decision 
 Day, from articles on Decision Day and Sunday 
 School evangelism in the current Sunday School 
 magazines and from institutes and convention 
 sections on evangelism. 
 
 This material, if in printed form, should be 
 pasted in the book for future use. 
 
 A record should be kept of the special deci- 
 sion efforts of the school year by year, the 
 methods employed and the results secured. 
 All of this could be made the subject of report 
 year by year to the Teachers' Council and to 
 the church and would p:ove of the utmost 
 value to the future work of evangelism. Why 
 should this most important business of the Sun- 
 day School be left to chance? Why not make 
 it the real business of the church through evan- 
 gelistic business methods? 
 
 3. Letters and Card Forms 
 Another important part of the committee 
 service is to preserve for use the best forms of 
 personal letters to teachers, scholars and par- 
 ents. Before Decision Day such letters, en- 
 closing some helpful leaflets, are invaluable in 
 
42 Plans for Sunday School Evangelism 
 
 producing an attitude of mind favourable to a 
 right response and in bringing teachers and par- 
 ents into a spirit of cooperation. In Chapter X 
 are forms of decision and consecration cards. 
 
 4. Other Duties of the Committee 
 The committee should plan the promotion 
 of the spiritual life of the teacher by circulation 
 of books and pamphlets bearing upon the work 
 of evangelism : should help to make the school 
 prayer and M^itnessing service a bright and up- 
 lifting time ; should make of the teachers' 
 prayer circle a time when individual scholars 
 will be remembered in prayer and the teachers 
 shall become united for soul winning. 
 
 5. Decision Day 
 The chief interest of the committee will relate 
 to preparation for the school's Decision Service, 
 and the conserving of the results of that service. 
 Plans for this special day will be set out later. 
 Many schools do not confine their efforts to a 
 single Decision Day but make a steady effort to 
 create atmosphere favourable to decision and 
 then at certain times gather in the results, in 
 November, the first Sunday of the New Year, 
 Decision Day in February, Palm Sunday, Chil- 
 dren's Day. And this plan is by all means to 
 be preferred as a goal for the school's evangel- 
 istic work. 
 
V 
 
 THE PASTOR AS A SCHOOL SHEPHERD 
 
 LIVE pastors consider the Sunday School 
 their chief and best field for evangelism. 
 Dr. R. S. MacArthur says: "Experi- 
 ence leads many pastors to give their most 
 earnest efforts now to the v^inning of the boys 
 and girls to Christ and to the Church. It is 
 pitiful to think how we often neglect the chil- 
 dren and then labour with agonizing prayer and 
 heroic appeal for the conversion of men and 
 women. We have sometimes thought that we 
 have honoured the grace of God more when a 
 man steeped in sin is brought to Christ than 
 when a noble boy or beautiful girl lovingly sub- 
 mits to the call of mercy. Boys and girls, prop- 
 erly instructed, ought to jaeld their hearts to 
 Christ as easily as a flower opens when kissed 
 by the sun." 
 
 Spurgeon said that he had " more satisfaction 
 in those who have decided before ten than those 
 at forty." And every pastor has in his own 
 Sunday School the material and the opportu- 
 
 43 
 
44 Plans for Sunday School Evangelism 
 
 nity out of which to create this satisfaction of 
 soul, and to mould his church of to-day and to- 
 morrow. The chief need is to adjust one's 
 thinking and method to the new conditions, as 
 against the old revival plans, to secure hand- 
 picked fruit rather than to stir up the crowd and 
 to " put on the rousements." 
 
 We shall deal here with the pastor's general 
 lines of effort in Sunday School evangelism, 
 leaving to succeeding chapters the development 
 of the details of certain of these phases of work. 
 
 I. Literature for the Pastor 
 
 A list of the books and pamphlets applicable 
 to Sunday School evangelism is given in Chap- 
 ter XIV. 
 
 Among the books written from the pastor's 
 view-point may be noted : 
 
 "The Sunday School and the Pastor" 
 (Faris). 
 
 " Pastoral Leadership of Sunday School 
 Forces" (Schauffler). 
 
 "Ministry of the Sunday School" (Patter- 
 son). 
 
 " Educational Evangelism " (McKinley). 
 
 "The Pastor and the Sunday School" 
 (Hatcher). 
 
 "The Pastor and Teacher Training" (Mc- 
 Kinney). 
 
 " Fishin' fer Men " (Clark). 
 
The Pastor as a School Shepherd 45 
 
 2. COWORKING WITH SUPERINTENDENT, TeACK»M 
 
 AND THE Sunday ScHooiy Committee 
 ON Evangelism 
 
 The pastor should work out, with the super- 
 intendent and Sunday School Committee on 
 Evangelism, a plan for a year's evangelistic pro- 
 gram covering the use of letters, literature, par- 
 ents' meetings, special seasons and such special 
 days as Decision Day, Easter, Children's Day. 
 These plans should be placed before the teach- 
 ers so that they can proceed intelligently in 
 carrying out the program. 
 
 The pastor should see that a card index of 
 each scholar and the scholar's family is pre- 
 pared showing their relation to Christ and the 
 Church. These cards should be prepared in 
 duplicate and be made available to all inter- 
 ested, for purposes of prayer for decision, to 
 know the field of effort and as a help to visitors 
 in understanding and reaching the last one in 
 each home for Christ. 
 
 3. The Pastor and the Home 
 
 Under Chapter VIII the parents' part in the 
 process of developing the scholar's spiritual life 
 will be considered. 
 
 The pastor can give these parents suggestion, 
 guidance and inspiration in their task: 
 
 (a) By promoting a family altar campaign 
 
46 Plans for Sunday School Evangelism 
 
 that shall establish prayer and the reading of a 
 portion of Scripture as the foundation of each 
 home. No Christian Hfe counts for much that 
 has not this aid in atmosphering it for daily liv- 
 ing. Christian decisions are easily made with 
 the spirit and memories of the family altar as a 
 background. 
 
 (b) By arranging meetings M^ith mothers and 
 fathers to suggest plans of cooperation in win- 
 ning the children to a Christian life. Many 
 parents know little of spiritual processes and 
 object to their children relating themselves to 
 Christ and His Church under the false pre- 
 sumption that they are too young, or that they 
 need to come into contact with the world and 
 " have a good time " before entering the Chris- 
 tian life. 
 
 (c) In his visitation of the home he can 
 complete the card record of the Christian rela- 
 tionship of each member of the home. This 
 visit will give him the opportunity of conference 
 concerning each member of that home, and of 
 prayer for each, and to leave some helpful liter- 
 ature concerning family prayer and the work of 
 parents. 
 
 One pastor in a Western city made it a point 
 one year to call upon the parents of the seven 
 hundred members of his Cradle Roll. As a result 
 of their interest in the Sunday School, through 
 this link of the child, he was able to secure three 
 
The Pastor as a School Shepherd 47 
 
 hundred of these parents as members of his 
 church. 
 
 4. His Sunday Church Opportunity 
 A goodly proportion of every Sunday audi- 
 ence are parents. How can these be reached, 
 for themselves and their children? 
 
 (a) By preaching an occasional sermon to 
 parents as to home responsibility for the spir- 
 itual culture of the children. Especially should 
 this emphasis be made before a school Decision 
 Day, Mothers' Day, Easter or Children's Day. 
 
 (b) Through the children's sermon, " the 
 little ten minutes " before the regular sermon. 
 
 Parents receive many a suggestion as to 
 methods of teaching and reaching their children 
 through these little windows. Dr. James M. 
 Farrar, whose plan of a "Junior Congregation " 
 has been extensively used, had prepared some 
 of his regular sermons with the purpose of 
 reaching a certain judge in his congregation for 
 church membership. He saw a great light 
 when, after that judge had come into the 
 church, he discovered that he had been reached 
 by one of his children's talks and not by his 
 scholarly sermons. And he changed his whole 
 plan of sermon preparation as a consequence. 
 
 Suggestions for these children's sermons can 
 be found in " Little Ten Minutes " (Bailey) ; 
 " The Junior Congregation " (Farrar) ; " Talks 
 
48 Plans for Sunday School Evangelism 
 
 to the King's Children " (Stall) ; " Five-Minute 
 Object Sermons" (Stall); "Five-Minute Ob- 
 ject Sermons to Children " (Hatcher) ; " Boys' 
 Brigade and Other Talks," and " Beware of 
 Imitations" (J. Williams Butcher); "Chil- 
 dren's Story Sermons" (Kerr); "What I Tell 
 My Junior Congregation " (Bennett) ; " Five- 
 Minute Sermons to Children " (Armstrong) ; 
 " Find Us God's Secrets " (McKay). 
 
 (c) He should assign every parent, and in 
 fact every member of the church as they join, 
 to some class in, or some service to, the church 
 school. Many schools are now emphasizing 
 parents' departments, with classes for fathers 
 and for mothers. These classes become choice 
 opportunities for enlistment of the parents for 
 Christ and for instruction of the parents 
 through special parents' courses in methods for 
 the Christian training of children. 
 
 The Mormon Church has 20,000 parents 
 meeting regularly on Sunday in parents' classes 
 for instruction, with a well-prepared series of 
 lessons for parents as a basis. 
 
 (d) He should form a " Go-to- Church 
 Band " of the children and young people of the 
 Junior and Intermediate or Junior High School 
 age. This will have the effect of enlisting the 
 attendance of their parents. It will result al- 
 most Inevitably in securing every member of 
 the band for church membership. 
 
The Pastor as a School Shepherd 49 
 
 (e) He can make a drive for attendance of 
 fathers and mothers at the church service and 
 enUst the children and the local press in promot- 
 ing such attendance. 
 
 In the church that I attend the pastor aimed 
 for the attendance of five hundred men at a 
 Sunday evening service. He was successful. 
 These men frequently stand and sing some 
 hymn. Then he aimed for five hundred 
 mothers and succeeded. And he had a mes- 
 sage for each of these groups. 
 
 5. His Sunday SchooIv Plans 
 
 These plans as they relate to decision and 
 other special evangelistic days, his preparation 
 for these days, and his follow-up work, will be 
 treated in the appropriate chapters. 
 
 Three things the pastor can make a part of 
 his regular work in the Sunday School session. 
 
 (a) His attendance at every Sunday School 
 session unless prevented by a funeral service. 
 
 This he owes to the officers and members of 
 the school and to himself. He must get ac- 
 quainted with the school atmosphere and con- 
 ditions; he must, by the radiance of his own 
 spirit, help that atmosphere and generate a 
 Christian purpose in the scholars; and occa- 
 sionally through his prayer, an incident related 
 by him, or a few well-chosen words, bring home 
 an impression or conviction. 
 
50 Plans for Sunday School Evangelism 
 
 (b) On the Sunday before communion or 
 church reception of members, he should, by his 
 own appeal or through the teacher or depart- 
 ment superintendent's effort, secure the deci- 
 sion of scholars to join the church on the follow- 
 ing Sunday, or to join a class in preparation for 
 church membership. 
 
 It is unnecessary to say that this appeal 
 should be graded to the understanding and ex- 
 perience of those who are to be reached. 
 
 (c) He will find it of great profit to person- 
 ally teach or conduct a fathers' class at the Sun- 
 day School session. The pastor of my own 
 church used such an opportunity in bringing 
 every one of a class of fifty fathers into church 
 membership. 
 
 6. His Week-day Methods 
 (a) He can promote a " Volunteers* 
 Month " with the purpose of lining up every 
 member of the church and Sunday School, 
 through public presentation and home visita- 
 tion, for some new decision or service. 
 
 I have before me a card used in our church 
 in such a campaign. This card lists a number 
 of lines of work of organizations, to join one or 
 more of which may be checked by the one sign- 
 ing. These indicate a choice as follows ; 
 
The Pastor as a School Shepherd 51 
 
 Open to All 
 
 1. Prayer League. 
 
 Family Worship. 
 Mid-week Prayer Meeting. 
 
 2. Bible School. 
 
 Class. 
 
 Teacher. 
 
 Home Department. 
 
 3. Visitation Committee. 
 
 4. Hospitality Committee. 
 
 Open to Women 
 
 1. Ladies' Aid Society. 
 
 2. Woman's Foreign Missionary Society. 
 
 3. Woman's Home Missionary Society. 
 
 4. Florence Nightingale Society. 
 
 Open to Young People 
 
 1. Epworth League. 
 
 2. Junior League. 
 
 3. Go-to-Church Band. 
 
 4. Triangles. 
 
 5. Midgets. 
 
 6. Choir. 
 
 Open to Men 
 
 1. Men's League. 
 
 2. Men's Classes. 
 
 Name Address 
 
 "For the people had a mind to work." 
 
 (b) He should invite young people and 
 adults to his home, one by one, for individual 
 talks upon their relationship to Christ. This 
 can be done where these individuals have made 
 no decision for Christ or after they become 
 
52 Plans for Sunday School Evangelism 
 
 members of some class in preparation for 
 church membership. In this way difficulties 
 can be met and results obtained in a way im- 
 possible in any group or mass meeting. One 
 pastor matured all but two of a class of ninety- 
 three probationers through this personal con- 
 versation plan. 
 
 (c) He can prepare and forward letters to a 
 selected list of individuals in the school or 
 church urging the claims of Christ and suggest- 
 ing that decision be made by specially named 
 church days such as Thanksgiving, New Year's 
 Day, Easter. These personal letters have been 
 used by pastors with unusual results, especially 
 when the individuals are followed up by a per- 
 sonal appeal. 
 
 (d) He can keep a list of all unconverted in 
 the Sunday School or church and make them 
 the object of individual prayer. 
 
 One pastor prayed daily for a long list of 
 such prospects. It intensified his interest in 
 them. Does not Christ carry us thus in re- 
 membrance, our names inscribed in the palms 
 of His hands? 
 
 (e) Use the mid-week prayer service as a 
 time for prayer by the church for the spiritual 
 life and decisions of the children and young 
 people, and also as a preparatory meeting for 
 teachers, officers and parents, before any deci- 
 sion Sunday. 
 
 if) Organize graded week-day classes for 
 
The Pastor as a School Shepherd 53 
 
 religious instruction with the objective of Chris- 
 tian decision and church membership. It is 
 patent that primary and junior children can 
 hardly be grouped in such classes with young 
 people in the teen years, hence some graded 
 plan is required with some wise women as 
 assistants. 
 
 One pastor selects from his baptismal register 
 the names of children over twelve years of age. 
 He writes a letter to the parents inviting them 
 to send their children on a stated Sunday after- 
 noon for enrollment in the class. Public an- 
 nouncement is also made. The class lasts for 
 ten weeks and meets at five o'clock on a week 
 day. The children study and recite a simple 
 catechism, prepared, in this instance, by the 
 pastor. On Friday afternoon before Children's 
 Day, the session and the parents gather for 
 examination of the children on the work done. 
 On Children's Day the entire congregation 
 gathers for the Lord's Supper, when these care- 
 fully instructed children are received into full 
 communion. 
 
 Another pastor met his class before the mid- 
 week prayer-meeting. He taught them by 
 question and answers covering reasons for 
 uniting with the church; what we must do to 
 be saved; the person and work of Christ; the 
 duties and privileges of church members; the 
 nature of the sacraments ; how one may become 
 a strong Christian; and brought each one per- 
 
54 Plans for Sunday School Evangelism 
 
 sonally to face the definite acceptance of Christ 
 as Saviour. 
 
 Still another pastor's class is held for six 
 weeks in the spring and autumn during the 
 Sunday School session. The scholars retire to 
 this class during the lesson period. 
 
 Mr. I. N. HalHday tells of a unique class of 
 seventy children who came directly from day 
 school on Friday afternoons at three o'clock for 
 a " week-day school in religion and morals " 
 conducted by the pastor. The pastor had 
 preached several sermons on childhood religion 
 on several Sundays previous to launching the 
 movement. A personal canvass of the homes 
 was made to secure the cooperation of parents. 
 The plan was presented before the Sunday 
 School for several weeks before the week-day 
 classes began. One week before enrollment 
 letters explaining the plan were sent out 
 through the Sunday School and the morning 
 congregation. At the close of the final sermon 
 preceding the first class gathering, the names 
 of the children were enrolled. 
 
 There were four classes, two of each sex. Th^ 
 class ages are eight to ten and eleven to four- 
 teen. There were more boys than girls. 
 Competent and consecrated teachers were 
 chosen. The pastor outlined the course of 
 study which consisted of two terms, each of 
 three months. Each session was one hour in 
 length. 
 
The Pastor as a School Shepherd ^^ 
 
 The children meet in a general assembly for a 
 song, responsive recital, a short devotional and 
 business period, then repair for study to sev- 
 eral rooms. Personal recitations and class 
 drills occupy the time. Contests are held be- 
 tween sides, medals awarded, and honour rec- 
 ognitions given. 
 
 The Junior Catechism of the Methodist 
 Church is the general basis of study. Other 
 junior handbooks are used. Pupils are made 
 acquainted with the books of the Bible and an 
 outline of Bible history. One Friday each 
 month is devoted to missions. The heart of 
 each lesson is enforced with a hero or other 
 illustrated story by the pastor. The children 
 are taught the meaning of the covenants and 
 ordinances of the Church, its general rules and 
 the purpose of the Church in the world. 
 
 7. Teachers' Consecration Services 
 The pastor can use special public services to 
 enlist the evangelistic cooperation of teachers 
 and officers in his plans and to promote a spirit 
 of steady seeking after souls. 
 
 Such occasions are furnished in Installation 
 Day, when new officers and teachers are offi- 
 cially inducted into their work at a morning 
 church service after the charge by the pastor. 
 Another opportunity is on Rally Day morning 
 when all the officers and teachers are seated in 
 a body in the church service and when the pas- 
 
56 Plans for Sunday School Evangelism 
 
 tor's annual message to them is given. A con- 
 secration service should follow which will unite 
 all in the purpose to make the year one of fruit- 
 ful service for Christ. 
 
 A monthly prayer service of all the teachers 
 and officers conducted jointly by pastor and su- 
 perintendent before or after the Sunday School 
 service is still another way of deepening the 
 spiritual tone of the workers. 
 
 8. Developing Christian Leadership 
 
 In Chapter XIII detailed plans will be given 
 for conserving the results of Christian decisions 
 and for training the children and young people 
 for intelligent service for Christ. 
 
 I wish but to mention here the pastor's 
 privilege of training his young people for evan- 
 gelistic service through a Personal Workers' 
 Class, using any one of a dozen books mentioned 
 in Chapter XIV. A Leadership Training Class 
 for Evangelism and other phases of Christian 
 work should be organized by every pastor and 
 conducted by him. 
 
 These young people should be put at work 
 through personal prayer lists, gospel chorus or 
 quartette groups, holding services for shut-ins 
 and in many concrete ways give expression to 
 their Christian life. 
 
 Dr. Henry H. Stebbins, pastor of the Central 
 Presbyterian Church of Rochester, New York, 
 utilized the St. Paul's Brotherhood, a band of 
 
The Pastor as a School Shepherd 57 
 
 twenty-one young- men of his church, who were 
 organized for Christian work, by enhsting them 
 in a plan for winning one hundred people for 
 Christ and the Church by a given date. These 
 young men organized a committee of one hun- 
 dred, each one pledged to bring in one member 
 for the church. Forty-nine days were given 
 for the effort. 
 
 The Sunday School teachers were brought 
 into the group of workers and the pastor sent to 
 each a letter urging special effort with class 
 members. The Christian Endeavour members 
 were lined up through a special message to 
 each. 
 
 Lists of names of prospects in adult classes, 
 and in other relations to the church, with ad- 
 dresses, were given to the workers. A tactful 
 letter was sent by the pastor to each of these 
 prospects, which really prepared the way for 
 the workers. Each member of the committee 
 of one hundred received an encouraging and 
 suggestive letter from the pastor. The teach- 
 ers were invited to a special prayer service. 
 
 A day was set to receive the applications for 
 membership. Before the day for the reception 
 of members one hundred and nineteen were 
 favourably passed upon by the church session, 
 as the result of this wise organization of the 
 young and adult life of the church for evan- 
 gelistic service. 
 
VT 
 
 THE SUPERINTENDENT— THE 
 ASSISTANT SHEPHERD 
 
 THE superintendent holds a position that 
 is strategic in relation to the evan- 
 gelistic work of the school. His serv- 
 ice is scarcely less responsible than that of the 
 pastor, with whom he should work in closest 
 cooperation. Frequently his relation to teacher, 
 scholar and parent is more intimate than that of 
 the pastor, especially in churches of any size, for 
 he is cultivating closely a section of the parish 
 work, while the pastor is necessarily limited in 
 his contacts by the very breadth of his field. 
 
 The measure of the superintendent's influence 
 for spiritual results is unlimited. Rather it is 
 limited only by his own relationship to Christ 
 and a narrow comprehension of his program. 
 He stands at the threshold of the scholar's life 
 and by his spirit, purpose and plans can practi- 
 cally shape that life in its choices and destiny. 
 This privilege and responsibility he shares with 
 the teacher. 
 
 We shall consider some of the special ways 
 in which he can mould the school's evangelistic 
 program. 
 
 S8 
 
The Superintendent 59 
 
 I. The Power of His Own Christ-Charged 
 Personai^ity 
 
 Peter Carter, the father-in-law of James M. 
 Speers of New York, was superintendent of a 
 coloured mission school in that city. Once a 
 visitor was telling the school the story of the 
 Good Shepherd. At the close of the story he 
 asked, " Children, who is the Good Shepherd? " 
 And with one voice they answered, " Peter Car- 
 ter!" That superintendent represented to 
 them all that the Good Shepherd could be. 
 
 The superintendent's smile, his hand-shake, 
 his personal contacts with teacher and scholar 
 and home, his spirit of service and sacrifice, his 
 enthusiasm for Christ, that passion for souls 
 which is born out of an intimate friendship with 
 Christ — these form the atmosphere that carries 
 the school a long ways toward its evangelistic 
 goal. 
 
 2. Atmosphering the SchooIv Session 
 The suggestions here made will relate to that 
 evangelistic spirit of the session the year around 
 which will promote continuous decisions and 
 will form the background for the best work on 
 Decision Day or other special evangelistic days. 
 This cultural atmosphere is essential for the 
 promotion and the development of strong 
 Christian character. Such character requires 
 for its backbone something more than the 
 
6o Plans for Sunday School Evangelism 
 
 sporadic effect of an overwrought revival ap- 
 peal. The special suggestions for Decision Days 
 will appear in later chapters. 
 
 (a) Prepare for each session through a 
 prayer group of olidcers or teachers or both, 
 meeting for five or ten minutes before the school 
 opening. 
 
 (b) Hold a ten or twenty minute " little 
 meeting " for testimony, prayer and appeal fol- 
 lowing the school session. To this meeting all 
 should be invited. Teachers should especially 
 invite scholars who are thinking seriously of 
 decision for Christ. This meeting may be held 
 each Sunday, as is the practice in Mr. Wana- 
 maker's school, or it can be held monthly. 
 
 (c) Have such a testimony meeting, rein- 
 forced by good music, an impressive solo once 
 a month, as a part of the school session, and 
 urge open decisions for Christ. 
 
 (d) Hold an after session meeting of ofificers 
 and teachers only, for prayer for the deepening 
 of the spiritual life and for prayer for specific 
 cases suggested by the teachers. This com- 
 radeship in prayer will help many a teacher 
 who is burdened for particular scholars. It 
 will help others who are not sufficiently in- 
 terested in their scholars' spiritual life to be- 
 come concerned. 
 
 (e) Prepare carefully for the opening prayer 
 in the school session. This prayer should be 
 
The Superintendent 6 1 
 
 comprehensive in its remembrance of world 
 needs. It should have a place for the absent, 
 the sick, the straying. It should reveal a tender 
 interest in the tempted and tried lives who have 
 been tested during the week as by fire. It 
 should betray concern lest any should pass the 
 time of their opportunity unsaved. It should 
 have a note of exultation because of confidence 
 in Christ and His sure triumph. It should be 
 natural, as one who talks with his Father who 
 is near and loved. 
 
 This prayer will have increased effect if it is 
 followed by the Lord's prayer, reverently sung 
 by the school or department. 
 
 (/) A reverent opening and closing is 
 needed to strengthen the spiritual impression 
 of the session. No bell is necessary for this 
 opening, just a few bars or a prelude by organ, 
 piano and orchestra; then the superintendent 
 should arise with uplifted hand, then silence and 
 silent prayer before the opening hymn. 
 
 At the close, following the last hymn, all 
 should remain standing until the benediction 
 or sentence prayer is concluded and the or- 
 chestra or instrument plays softly some prayer 
 hymn while heads are bowed. After that the 
 Amen can be sung and then dismissal. 
 
 (g) Have individual scholars, classes, teach- 
 ers or officers arise before the prayer is offered 
 and suggest special objects for the prayer of the 
 
62 Plans for Sunday School Evangelism 
 
 day. Or have these objects written out and 
 sent to the platform in advance. This practice 
 will surely give point to the prayer and will add 
 to the interest of the scholars in the prayer. 
 
 (h) Use the power of music in the session. 
 One Sunday a month devote to the story of a 
 hymn. Have that hymn sung by the school or 
 if a gospel hymn, use a soloist. Material for 
 such Sundays can be found in " Story of the 
 Gospel Hymns" (Sankey); ''Thirty-Four 
 Memory Hymns and Their Stories " (Wells) ; 
 " Famous Hymns of the World " (Sutherland) ; 
 " Story of the Hymns and Tunes " (Butter- 
 worth & Brown). 
 
 Sing each Sunday one hymn suggested by 
 one of the classes. That hymn will have spe- 
 cial significance to that class and the school or 
 department. 
 
 (i) Drill the department or school on 
 pivotal texts so that the pupils can locate these 
 in their own Bibles and recite them. These 
 texts should include 
 
 Confession of Sin, i John 1 : 9. 
 The Invitation, Matt. 2:28-31. 
 Dangers of Delay, 2 Cor. 6 : 2. 
 Christ the Saviour from Sin, John 3 : 16, 
 Becoming God's Child, John i : 2. 
 Confessing Christ, Matt. 10 : 32. 
 Following Christ, John 12:26. 
 
 (/) Occasionally utilize the lesson of the 
 
The Superintendent 63 
 
 day, if the Uniform lesson, for an earnest ap- 
 peal for decision. Some incident or illustration 
 out of the week may furnish a basis for an im- 
 pression or appeal. 
 
 (k) Plan to make an appeal on the Sunday 
 before communion or the day set for the recep- 
 tion of members into the church, so that 
 scholars may have brought freshly before them 
 the expectation of their leaders that they should 
 enter upon the Christian life. This appeal 
 should be graded if possible to departmental 
 groups. In my own school it is customary for 
 the pastor, the associate superintendent and 
 myself to make this appeal to the departments, 
 with excellent results. This should be done at 
 other times than before or on Decision Day so 
 that the scholars should look forward to 
 Christian decision as the normal thing. 
 
 (/) Arrange one class in the senior depart- 
 ment as an elective class for personal workers. 
 Plan this as a three months' course for older 
 scholars so that they shall be trained in methods 
 for soul winning. These scholars can return to 
 their regular classes after the completion of the 
 course. From this group material can be ob- 
 tained for the School Committee on Evangel- 
 ism. 
 
 3. His Work with Parents 
 
 The superintendent must bring the parents 
 into partnership with his effort to relate every 
 
64 Plans for Sunday School Evangelism 
 
 scholar of the school consciously to Jesus Christ 
 as Lord and Saviour. Detailed methods for 
 enlisting this home cooperation will be given 
 later. We shall here note as general sug- 
 gestions: 
 
 (a) Write to each parent a letter upon the 
 admission of the child to Sunday School mem- 
 bership. This letter should express the school's 
 pleasure in welcoming the scholar, should in- 
 dicate methods of home cooperation in the 
 school plans and should invite the parents to 
 join the fathers' and mothers' classes. 
 
 (b) The parent should be visited soon after 
 by a district visitor, as well as by the teacher, 
 and important facts as to the parents' church 
 relationship or incHnation ascertained and re- 
 ported for use by superintendent or pastor. 
 
 (c) The home should be enlisted as mem- 
 bers of the Family Altar League as soon as 
 possible, that school and home should be one 
 in their emphasis upon a spiritual atmosphere. 
 The Family Altar emphasis of the Home De- 
 partment will be a means to this end. 
 
 (d) A Parents' Association should be or- 
 ganized to include parents by departmental 
 groupings if practical. It will be easy to start 
 this plan with parents of the Cradle Roll, Begin- 
 ners' and Primary Departments. The monthly 
 meetings of this association will furnish a 
 splendid opportunity for an occasional message 
 
The Superintendent 65 
 
 by pastor or superintendent that will emphasize 
 the home privilege and responsibility for for- 
 warding the Christian decisions and the Chris- 
 tian life of the scholars. 
 
 (c) An occasional letter to the parents, 
 signed by the superintendent or by the pastor 
 and superintendent, concerning the question of 
 cooperation in prayer and effort for Christian 
 decision, will be helpful in its reaction upon the 
 parents if not Christians, and in stimulation of 
 their active interest. 
 
 4. With His Teachers 
 
 (a) The school should secure a number of 
 the books and leaflets suggested in Chapter 
 XIV. The superintendent should see that the 
 Committee on Evangelism distributes these for 
 reading at the right time. No teacher can seri- 
 ously read this stimulating material without an 
 increased interest in the salvation of the 
 scholars. One superintendent distributed to 
 each teacher at the beginning of the summer 
 vacations Moody's " Secret Power " and Trum- 
 bull's " Individual Work for Individuals " to 
 stimulate the teachers for intensive work for 
 souls in the fall days. 
 
 (b) His birthday letters to his teachers and 
 ofHcers will furnish the opportunity for saying 
 the right word that shall relate the teachers 
 more closely to Christ and to quicken their 
 
66 Plans for Sunday School Evangelism 
 
 effort for the conversion of their scholars. With 
 this letter should go some leaflet, clipping 
 or booklet that shall be helpful on spiritual 
 lines. 
 
 (c) Occasionally distribute to all the teach- 
 ers some such leaflets as " My Class for Jesus," 
 " Little Parishes of Eight," or others mentioned 
 in Chapter XIV. Make the subject of this 
 leaflet the basis of discussion and prayer at the 
 teachers' gathering. 
 
 (d) Drill the teachers in pivotal passages 
 and in the use of their Bibles in the work of 
 soul winning. These passages should be 
 marked and should be so well in hand that 
 scholars can be pointed to Christ from the 
 Word. This drill can be done in twenty min- 
 ute gatherings on a week night or on Sunday. 
 
 (e) Hold an evening gathering of the teach- 
 ers at the superintendent's home to discuss the 
 spiritual welfare of the school. 
 
 Forty-two of the fifty members of the Rens- 
 selaer Street Bible School, Albany, N. Y., re- 
 sponded to such an invitation from the superin- 
 tendent. Two weeks in advance of the meet- 
 ing the teachers were notified that the following 
 topics would be discussed : 
 
 " How Develop a Spirit of Respect in, and 
 Control of, the Scholars"; "Instilling the 
 Fundamental Truth that the Bible is the Word 
 of God"; "Why More Scholars are not Con- 
 
The Superintendent 67 
 
 verted"; "The Power of United Prayer"; 
 " Making the Manliness and Womanliness of 
 the Christian Life a Feature of Teaching." 
 
 A teacher opened the discussion on each topic. 
 The discussion was general and the interest 
 eager. The consideration of " Why More 
 Scholars are not Converted " was particularly 
 searching. The lack of earnest prayer, feeble- 
 ness in bringing the word of God home to the 
 individual, sluggishness in the spiritual life of 
 the teacher, were among the reasons given. 
 
 Three hours were consumed in the considera- 
 tion of these topics, and these teachers went to 
 their task with new vision and purpose as the 
 result. 
 
 (/) Have the teachers sign a card covenant- 
 ing to pray for each other and for the scholars 
 and homes of the entire school. This covenant 
 may include a purpose to work for the decision 
 of an agreed number of scholars by a date that 
 shall be set. 
 
 5. With His Scholars 
 Most superintendents are to their scholars, 
 both during Sunday School days and in the long 
 years beyond, a standard, an example, and an 
 inspiration. The father, the teacher, the pastor 
 and the superintendent compose the quartet of 
 men who shape ninety per cent, of the boys* 
 ideals and character. This is inevitable. 
 
68 Plans for Sunday School Evangelism 
 
 How can the superintendent effectively do 
 his part in affecting the boys' and girls' deci- 
 sions for Christ? 
 
 (a) There must be evidence of a real friend- 
 ship for them. This will appear in the hearti- 
 ness of the hand-clasp, an interest in them if 
 absent or sick, in noting from the platform or 
 by word or letter any special event in their lives, 
 in a personal birthday letter, in an interest in, 
 and provision for, their employment life. 
 
 These practical lines of relationship will give 
 a power and drive to the personal word of 
 invitation to Christ that will carry the message 
 home and practically insure results. 
 
 (b) The superintendent should know who, 
 and how many, over twelve years of age in the 
 school, are not members of the church. This 
 list will be the one to cultivate through special 
 letters and especially for Decision Day. He 
 should keep this list checked up. The pastor 
 will have a similar record and also the Commit- 
 tee on Evangelism. 
 
 (c) Cooperate with the pastor in inviting the 
 scholars to the home for individual talks re- 
 garding their life-work, their relationship to 
 Christ, their reading, etc. A word of prayer 
 at the close will help to deepen the impression 
 of such a talk. It will be lifelong in its memory 
 and influence. 
 
 (d) Occasionally distribute to the scholars 
 
The Superintendent 69 
 
 character and decision stimulating leaflets or 
 reprints. The special leaflets for Decision Day 
 will be suggested later. 
 
 6. His Week-day Work 
 
 (a) Confer with the pastor and the Com- 
 mittee on Sunday School Evangelism concern- 
 ing plans for a school forward movement for 
 spiritual results. The plans and goals formed 
 by this conference should be presented to the 
 Teachers' Council for their understanding and 
 acceptance. 
 
 (b) Use the special days of the year as the 
 opportunity for preparing messages to the 
 teachers that should focus in the main drive of 
 the school, to shape character for Christ and 
 His service. 
 
 (c) The superintendent's personal visitation 
 of the homes of the scholars for acquaintance, 
 for conference and prayer will be the very best 
 investment of his spare time. 
 
 This may seem a big task, but with a school 
 of two thousand I made it a point to spend one 
 to two hours of every week day after business 
 in such visitation. The results in spiritual 
 quickening of the school life I believe justified 
 this outlay of strength and time. 
 
VII 
 
 THE TEACHER— THE UNDER 
 SHEPHERD 
 
 "'W'W' THEN it comes to winning souls in 
 
 \/%/ the Sunday School the pastor is 
 * ' across the street, the superintend- 
 ent is at arm's length, but the teacher is face to 
 face." 
 
 So probable are the results in the Christian 
 decision of scholars where the teacher rightly 
 uses his or her influence and opportunity, that 
 it is not a case of if the scholar can be saved — 
 but when and how. 
 
 Owing to the non-Christian attitude of so 
 many of the homes from which the scholars 
 come, or the inability or indifference of nom- 
 inally Christian parents in guiding their chil- 
 dren to Christ, the teacher, in possibly a ma- 
 jority of cases, is the vital link in determining 
 the Christian life of the scholar. 
 
 Ten evangelists said that the teacher is the 
 key to evangelism in the church. 
 
 Sunday School teaching is absolutely essen- 
 tial to Christian character. It is the greatest 
 thing in the world in the making of character. 
 
 70 
 
The Teacher 71 
 
 The teacher is the pastor's under shepherd, is 
 closest to a section of his flock. Dr. Schauffler 
 was accustomed to place great dependence 
 upon his teachers, who regularly reported to 
 him the spiritual condition of each member of 
 the class, the situation in the home, and espe- 
 cially the straying member who needed at once 
 the attention of the chief shepherd. 
 
 I. Factors in the Teacher's Evangelistic 
 
 Success 
 
 (a) The character of the teacher. 
 
 " Evangelism is the communicating of truth 
 through the personality and character of the 
 .teacher so as to bring about discipleship " (Dr. 
 Mullins). That character cannot fail of its im- 
 pression if it is lived in conscious companionship 
 with Christ. " He is all that you say of him," 
 said one, "but somehow he does not remind 
 me of Christ." 
 
 (b) The teacher's passion. 
 
 " The aim, passion, purpose and effort of the 
 teacher is to bring Christ into the Ufe of the 
 scholar" (Dr. Mullins). Is our teaching his- 
 tory, geography or Christ? Its purpose should 
 be to produce in the scholar the love and the 
 likeness of Christ. The constraining love of 
 Christ must be the teacher's passion. 
 
72 Plans for Sunday School Evangelism 
 
 A young man said to Dr. Mead one night in 
 Boston, " I know what you mean. I've lost 
 my passion." 
 
 President Benjamin Harrison left his house 
 one night at eleven o'clock and talked with a 
 young man about Christ until two in the morn- 
 ing. Christ talked to the people, forgetting 
 hunger, until reminded by His disciples that 
 the people might need to eat. " I have meat to 
 eat that ye know not of." 
 
 (c) The teacher's vision. 
 
 That vision must be twofold. There must 
 be a comprehension of Christ in his person, life 
 and work, a joy in his close, personal relation- 
 ship, a reflection of the mountain-top experi- 
 ence. " Oh man, with heaven in your face, 
 help me." 
 
 Then there must be a vision of the possi- 
 bilities of Christian character and service that 
 lie within every scholar, no matter how un- 
 promising. The teacher, with sure hand and 
 faith in the scholar, is to unlock those possi- 
 bilities and guide them to fruition. " Frank, I 
 have confidence in you," was said to me by a 
 faithful pastor in my older boyhood. That word 
 unfolded some latent powers in my life. I de- 
 termined not to disappoint the faith in me of 
 that man. 
 
The Teacher 73 
 
 (d) Making the cross central. 
 
 Ralph Wells, one of New York's master 
 teachers, once went to his pastor, Dr. Alex- 
 ander, to ask him the secret of successful 
 evangelism. Dr. Alexander replied: *' Young 
 man, if you would win souls, make much of the 
 blood." 
 
 The atonement of Christ for sin, the meaning 
 and power of the cross must be at the heart of 
 our experience and teaching. A little girl was 
 found weeping during a meeting. Asked for 
 the reason she said, " I did not know before that 
 it was my sin that crucified Jesus." 
 
 (e) Love much. 
 
 " I first learned to love my teacher, then I 
 learned to love my teacher's Bible, then I 
 learned to love my teacher's Saviour." This 
 was the testimony of a Sunday School girl. It 
 is the inevitable experience. Only love can 
 reveal the heart of the Lover of Souls, of a love 
 so great that it satisfies all men everywhere. 
 The centuries cannot outgrow its need. 
 
 A personal love for each member of the class, 
 an individualizing of them in that class photo- 
 graph gallery which should be ever with the 
 teacher, is basic for soul winning. 
 
 (f) The teacher's personal testimony. 
 
 Some time in the course of the teaching the 
 
74 Plans for Sunday School Evangelism 
 
 testimony of the teacher as to how Christ came 
 into his life, what Christ is to him as a real 
 presence and friend, will count in bringing the 
 terms of religion within the compass of the 
 scholar's thinking. " Christ within, the hope 
 of glory," the Christ concreted in the teacher's 
 life, visualizes the Gospel beyond question. 
 
 (g) His emphasis upon prayer. 
 
 I was once as a boy detained from Sunday 
 School by a severe illness. My teacher came 
 after school bringing with him one or two boys 
 of the class. He was a big man as to stature, 
 voice, heart. He prayed with me. That 
 prayer has been ringing down the years. 
 Joshua Rogers will never be forgotten while life 
 lasts. 
 
 " One prayer zvith a boy is worth forty about 
 him." 
 
 (h) His example, 
 
 "The life of the teacher is the life of his 
 teaching." That fine book by Bishop Hunt- 
 ington, " Unconscious Tuition," speaks of the 
 great influence of the acts of the teacher. After 
 all, the lessons, the things taught by our teach- 
 ers, are little remembered, but out of the mist 
 of the years there looms the shining of his face, 
 some faithfulness of life, something done be- 
 cause of a principle of conduct that sticks fast. 
 
The Teacher 75 
 
 Jesus said, " Follow Mc." His disciples were 
 called followers of the Master. Will our schol- 
 ars walk safely, and to the heights of Christian 
 living, if they follow us? 
 
 (i) His natiiralldng of religion. 
 
 There is no reason why Christianity, which 
 is a Hfe and relationship and not a form, should 
 be presented in other than the terms of life. 
 There is every reason why " holy tones " should 
 be avoided, together with an " I'm hoHer than 
 thou " attitude. Christ lived His life among us 
 as one of us. He ate, laughed, sang, played, 
 responded to every phase of nature, loved 
 greatly, rejoiced in His friendships, conceived 
 of all Hfe as shot through with a great purpose 
 and goal. 
 
 Young people are likely to fear religion as 
 extraneous, unnatural, strange, a thing apart 
 from their daily line of thinking and acting, an 
 interference with the natural plans of life — un- 
 less we shall make Christ real and His pro- 
 gram a necessity for our best living. A teacher 
 has here a great opportunity. One week spent 
 by a teacher with his boys in camp life will be 
 worth for him and them years of sermonizing. 
 
 (j) His acquaintance with the Book. 
 There is no greater contribution the teacher 
 can make to the spiritual toning of the scholar's 
 
76 Plans for Sunday School Evangelism 
 
 life than to lead him through the rich pastures 
 of the Word, to point out its mountains, its 
 mines, its still waters, its rivers, to make the 
 Book experiences companion and inspiration. 
 
 His own Bible should be marked. He should 
 have it with him in the class. He should see 
 that the scholars bring their Bibles and mark 
 them. He should conduct Bible drills and con- 
 tests at his home or in the class on something 
 of the following plan, possibly, and these drills 
 should include some of salvation's pivotal texts. 
 These drills may include the following: 
 
 Find the Ten Commandments, the Shepherd 
 Psalm, Moses' Psalm, Sermon on the Mount, 
 gallery of faith's heroes. 
 
 Find the verse " All have sinned and come 
 short of the glory of God." Where located? 
 Locate the verse as to sin's penalty. Read it. 
 Find the redemption verse. Where? What? 
 Find a verse on love, prayer, faith. Find the 
 Sin Chapter fRom. 3) ; Atonement Chapter 
 (Isaiah 53); New Birth Chapter (John 3); 
 Purity Chapter (Ezek. 36); Love Chapter 
 (1 Cor. 13) ; Abiding Chapter (John 15). 
 
 Alphabetical Drill: A — All have sinned 
 (Rom. 3:23); B— Behold the Lamb of God 
 (John 1:29); C— Come unto Me (Matt. 11: 
 28); D— Draw nigh to God (John 4:8); 
 E — Enter ye in at the straight gate (Matt. 
 7:13). 
 
The Teacher 77 
 
 '(k) His study of the individual scholar. 
 
 Christ changed the manner of His approach 
 and training according to the character and 
 need of the individual disciple. His approaches 
 to John, Zaccheus, Nathaniel, were adapted to 
 the temperament and experience of these men. 
 
 The soul-winning teacher studies the apti- 
 tudes of his scholars as an expert fisherman 
 studies bait for, and the habitat of, the fish, 
 
 2. Literature for the Teacher 
 In Chapter XIV will be found suggestion of 
 books for the enrichment of the teacher's spir- 
 itual life, and suggestive in his work of dealing 
 with the difficulties met with, and the develop- 
 ment of Christian character, in the scholars. 
 
 3. His Sunday Opportunity 
 
 In the chapters relating to Decision Day and 
 the school's special days for evangelistic effort 
 we shall deal in detail with the teacher's part 
 in relation to that united effort. 
 
 With the teacher, however, as with the super- 
 intendent, it is the Sunday by Sunday deep 
 plowing and seed sowing and watering with 
 tears and prayers and sympathy that make pos- 
 sible the harvest gathered on these special days. 
 The observance of a few simple plans will have 
 much to do in creating this background for de- 
 cision. 
 
78 Plans for Sunday School Evangelism 
 
 (a) Be on hand promptly. 
 
 Mr. Lawrance says truly, " No moment is so 
 important to the teacher, and no opportunity so 
 priceless, as when the scholars are assembling. 
 This is the teacher's golden chance, and the 
 teacher should be the Urst one there.'' The cor- 
 dial hand-shake, the word of inquiry as to the 
 home or the week's work or some special event 
 of the week, establishes the contacts that make 
 possible a good lesson and a sympathetic com- 
 radeship in the lesson discussions. 
 
 It is not too much to say that fifty per cent, 
 of progress has been made toward a fine lesson 
 by the teacher who is at his post before the 
 scholars to create the right atmosphere and 
 contacts. 
 
 (h) Have a word of prayer before and after the 
 lesson. 
 
 A Brooklyn teacher, Mr. Hollenbeck, had a 
 class of boys in a Mission Sunday School. One 
 Sunday he was absent and a stranger filled his 
 place. As this substitute began the lesson one 
 of the boys said, " Mister, our teacher always 
 begins with prayer." 
 
 This prayer atmosphere is a fine preparation 
 for the teaching as the guidance of the Holy 
 Spirit and the presence of the Great Teacher 
 are sought in unfolding the truth. And there 
 is no better way of clinching the lesson impres- 
 
The Teacher 79 
 
 sion than a bit of prayer at the close, that the 
 heart of the lesson may be driven home and the 
 class be led to live out that lesson in the life of 
 the coming week. If some one of the scholars 
 shall lead in prayer, so much the better. 
 
 (c) Give to each scholar some weekly work. 
 This may not involve a lot of time on the part 
 
 of the scholar, but it is important in personaliz- 
 ing the lesson. Some Scripture reference may 
 be used or some geographical or historical set- 
 ting. Be sure that this reference is asked for 
 on the following Sunday. 
 
 (d) Give some Bible drill work. 
 
 A very few minutes in this will give a change 
 in the routine and the exercise may well lead 
 up to some Scripture that opens up the heart of 
 the lesson. 
 
 (e) Utilize the moments after the session. 
 
 It may be that some scholar may have mani- 
 fested a special interest during the lesson and 
 this time of aroused attention may be used in 
 bringing the life to decision. Possibly a letter 
 has been written to a scholar during the week 
 with an appeal to decide the great question and 
 the decision should then be pressed home. Or 
 it may be that the interest of several of the 
 Christian scholars should be enlisted, through 
 a little effort, on behalf of a " win one " plan, 
 
8o Plans for Sunday School Evangelism 
 
 with the purpose of influencing some unde- 
 cided members of the class. 
 
 4. The Home Touch 
 
 Dr. George W. Bailey said: "A very large 
 percentage and, in most schools, a majority of 
 the scholars, come from homes where the Scrip- 
 tures are not taught, the subject of religion is 
 seldom discussed, family worship is not ob- 
 served, and at best, the attitude of the family 
 is one of indifference toward Jesus Christ and 
 the sacrifice which He made for sinners. The 
 only religious instruction received by this class 
 of scholars is that which comes to them through 
 the agency of the Sunday School." 
 
 The fact that the scholars from such homes 
 are in the Sunday School constitutes the 
 teacher's opportunity. How can these home 
 contacts be multiplied? 
 
 (a) Visit the home. 
 
 The inside of the pupil's parlour or living-, 
 room should be as familiar to the teacher as the 
 teacher's parlour or living-room should be fa- 
 miliar to the scholar. 
 
 A discouraged teacher went to the mother of 
 the boy whose mischievous spirit in the class 
 had been the chief source of his trouble, to tell 
 that mother that he could do nothing with the 
 boy. And the mother made answer, " I can do 
 
The Teacher 8l 
 
 nothing with him either. Just look at the walls 
 of this kitchen." And the teacher saw all 
 around those walls outHnes of animals which 
 the boy had drawn when the mother was out 
 of the room. The teacher caught an inspira- 
 tion from those pictures. On the next Sunday- 
 he was there before the boy, with pencil and 
 pad. He said: "Jim, I understand you are 
 quite an artist! " The boy braced up. " Per- 
 haps I can draw a little." " Can you draw this 
 coast line of Palestine for me?" "I'll try." 
 " Now that crooked river Jordan." " Now the 
 Dead Sea/' " And that city of Jerusalem." 
 "And just over the hill, Bethany." And step 
 by step that boy and the others were led into 
 the heart of the lesson. 
 
 The fact that teacher has been to his home 
 gives a new interest to the boy in that teacher. 
 And the visit to the home, and a knowledge of 
 its conditions will give added patience and un- 
 derstanding to the teacher in reaching that boy. 
 
 If the teacher can pray with the mother and 
 father that they and he shall be wisely guided in 
 building the boy's life into Christ and a noble 
 manhood, a new cooperative link has been es- 
 tablished. 
 
 (b) Have a parents' social at the home. 
 One wise teacher in my school makes it a 
 practice to have at least one annual affair for 
 
82 Plans for Sunday School Evangelism 
 
 her girls and their mothers. Needless to say 
 that this furnishes an opportunity for further 
 work with those mothers on behalf of their 
 girls. And that teacher, because she followed 
 up the employment life of her girls and encour- 
 aged them to talk freely of their interests, was 
 able to help both mothers and girls and to 
 shield those girls from some special temptations 
 that assailed them in their business life. 
 
 (c) Call on the sick or absent. 
 
 A shepherd who does not miss one of the 
 flock, or who, if the member is missed, does not 
 seek it out, is unworthy of his calling. 
 
 A boy, very regular in Sunday School attend- 
 ance, was absent for a few weeks. The teacher 
 simply marked " Left " in the class book with- 
 out seeking the cause of the absence. The su- 
 perintendent noticed the word and, not satis- 
 fied, called at the home of that boy. He found 
 him in the delirium of a fever, calling the name 
 of his teacher. The superintendent wrote after 
 the word " Left " — " by an indifferent teacher to 
 die, from an accident, at No. Street." 
 
 Worst of all, a great opportunity to tie that 
 boy " with hooks of steel " to that teacher and 
 to Christ had been lost. 
 
 (d) The home letter. 
 
 This might be written to parents when the 
 
The Teacher 83 
 
 scholar joins the class, or to invite them to some 
 special school function, or to ask special coop- 
 eration in prayer for the scholar's Christian de- 
 cision, or to suggest plans for daily family 
 worship in the home, outlining some daily Bible 
 home readings to be read aloud in the home. 
 That letter, whatever its subject, if written in 
 the right spirit, will be read and reread. If 
 some bit of helpful reading, in heading that 
 home for Christian living, can be enclosed, an- 
 other link has been forged in the teacher's 
 Christian service to that home. 
 
 5. The Week-day Outreach 
 The teacher whose sole interest in the scholar 
 is confined to the half-hour's teaching on Sun- 
 day is a failure. In fact, he has not half taught, 
 for the teaching of the life in the week-day 
 touch is as essential as the teaching of the lip, 
 if the result aimed at is character formation. 
 
 I am perfectly aware that many teachers, be- 
 cause of their week-day vocations, are prevented 
 from giving much time to class interests. But 
 after all where there is a will a good deal can 
 be done both with individuals in the class and 
 with the class collectively. The purpose to help 
 will find a way. And all of this interest, from 
 the very fact that the teacher is busy, has added 
 value. May I suggest a few things that can be 
 done even by busy people. 
 
84 Plans for Sunday School Evangelism 
 
 (a) Write a letter. 
 
 This can be done when the scholar is away, 
 or you are away, in the summer time. It will 
 mean much if the message comes in the form of 
 cards during Christmas, Easter, etc. Rally Day 
 gives another line opportunity for enlisting by 
 a letter for a new start. For Decision Day a 
 letter is invaluable. 
 
 The birthday furnishes a choice time for a 
 direct appeal. A sixteen-year-old boy had re- 
 ceived such a birthday letter from his teacher. 
 In it she urged the day as a great time for a Hfe 
 decision for Christ. The boy took the letter to 
 his mother and said that he would follow that 
 teacher's loving suggestion by surrendering to 
 Christ. 
 
 It was a letter of this sort that changed the 
 life course of Henry Clay Trumbull, of The 
 Sunday School Times. A letter from a friend, 
 Edmund D. Stanton, reached him while Trum- 
 bull was a railroad office clerk at Hartford. In 
 that letter Stanton said in part: 
 
 " I have been too long silent. . . . Often 
 have I felt like speaking to you on this subject, 
 but as often have timidity and fear kept me 
 back. We have been companions and intinig,te 
 friends for years. . . . Seldom has a harsh 
 word, or an unkind feeling, marred the har- 
 mony of our intercourse. Do be persuaded by 
 me. If I could be the instrument, however 
 
The Teacher 8j: 
 
 humble, and to however smair^an* extent, 'of 
 leading you to think seriously of this, I should 
 consider that I had more than repaid your kind- 
 ness and interest in me. Let me beg you, by 
 the remembrance of our friendship, but more 
 than all, by the regard for your own good, think 
 of these things. . . ." 
 
 Trumbull was touched deeply by his friend's 
 letter, fell on his knees in confession, and took 
 the first step to Christ. We do not wonder 
 that he became one of God's master workmen 
 in reaching individuals and that " Individual 
 Work for Individuals " should have come from 
 his pen and experience. 
 
 (6) Utili:;e the social life. 
 
 Young people love a good time. The social 
 door is a direct entrance into their life. When 
 I had a class of fourteen-year-old boys, years 
 ago, I made it a point to have them once a 
 month at my home for some eats and games. 
 One night the boys were playing a game of roll- 
 ing big agates on the parlour carpet, these 
 agates stopping as near as possible to a mark. 
 In their interest they forgot the carpet and dug 
 big ridges in it with their shoe tips. The next 
 morning Mrs. Brown, then a young bride, came 
 down with me to the parlour. " Oh, Frank, my 
 carpet, my carpet!" "Yes, my dear, but my 
 boys, my boys ! I think we've got the boys ! '* 
 
86 Plans for Sunday School Evangelism 
 
 Twenty-five years after, a popular judge asked 
 me to sit beside him on the bench while he sen- 
 tenced the young prisoners. Always his first 
 question was: " Did you go to Sunday School? 
 .Why did you leave it? Why did you get away 
 from the influence of your teacher? If I give 
 you another chance will you go back to your 
 teacher and to the school? " He told me that 
 rarely did the boys come before him again after 
 that advice. And later he introduced me to a 
 judge of the Supreme Court as his old Sunday 
 School teacher. He was one of those boys who 
 dug up our parlour carpet years before. And I 
 said, " What's a mile of carpet to a yard or two 
 of boy?" 
 
 These social times can be used in the playing 
 of Bible games, scores of which are now on the 
 market, and help to fasten Bible verses and 
 facts. 
 
 (c) Take an interest in their employment life. 
 
 If they are not old enough to be employed 
 find out the things they are doing during the 
 week and suggest forms of interesting employ- 
 ment of their time. Especially teach them to 
 carry some real task each day in the home so 
 that they shall be making some contribution to 
 the home life. 
 
 If they are starting in business or are think- 
 ing of some form of Christian life service coun- 
 
The Teacher 87 
 
 sel with them and launch them in the right task 
 if possible. Then follow them up with your 
 interest. Mrs. Schauffler had a class of young 
 ladies in the Sunday School. One of the girls 
 worked in Huyler's. Mrs. Schauffler would 
 sometimes call at the store, pass a rose over 
 the counter to the girl with a smile and a 
 cheery word, " I'll see you next Sunday," and 
 would then be off. Do you think that flower 
 ever faded from that girl's memory? 
 
 (d) Make home appointments. 
 
 Nicodemus came to Christ by night. Soul 
 business was transacted. Scholars can escape 
 conviction under collective teaching, but alone, 
 face to face with the teacher, under the soften- 
 ing influences of the home atmosphere, the 
 issue cannot be dodged. Tactfully, step by 
 step, any young life can be led, until it faces the 
 Saviour and says, " Lord, I take Thee to be my 
 Saviour. I give Thee myself in a life friendship 
 and service," 
 
 Hand-picked fruit counts for more than wind- 
 falls. 
 
 (e) follow the scholars' reading. 
 
 Study up the choicest books that will interest 
 the age of your scholars. Buy those books for 
 circulation among them or suggest the names 
 
88 Plans for Sunday School Evangelism 
 
 of the books so that they can be secured at the 
 pubhc library. Remember the tremendous 
 power of the best books in shaping Ufe ideals 
 and utilize this influence for character building. 
 
 6. Fruit-bearing 
 
 "He that abideth in me, and I in him, the 
 same bringeth forth much fruit." 
 
 In my Sunday School I had a teacher who 
 had brought three different classes to Christ. 
 T shall never forget her radiant face as she saw 
 the last girl of the last class definitely commit- 
 ting herself to Christ. I asked this teacher, 
 " Kate, how do you do it? " And she answered, 
 " Mr. Brown, I remember every one of my girls 
 every day, by name, in prayer." 
 
 Another teacher, a lady, had a class of sixteen 
 to eighteen year old boys. She loved them. 
 They loved her. She was homely but her face 
 shone by the power of the inner light. One by 
 one these boys confessed Christ and joined the 
 church. There were four still undecided. She 
 was a mother to their souls. Soon she came 
 and said that only three were holding out, — then 
 two. And now it was down to Bob. And her 
 face beamed as she brought Bob as the last 
 sheaf. And she sat by those stalwart chaps in 
 the front of the church at that communion serv- 
 ice and they lined up with her at the altar, one 
 of the sights to make angels glad. 
 
The Teacher 89 
 
 Years ago Dr. Schauffler was raising a fund 
 of $100,000 for the Sunday School Work of the 
 New York State Sunday School Association. 
 An ex-Mayor of New York, Mr. Ely, had given 
 $50,000 of this because of what the Sunday 
 School was to him as a boy. Mrs. Russell Sage 
 gave $5,000 to Dr. Schauffler, saying, "The 
 Sunday School meant everything to my life as 
 a girl. I later had a class of girls. Every one 
 of these girls gave her heart to Christ and came 
 into the church." And one of those girls was 
 Helen Gould. Three great givers, the result of 
 the faithful work of consecrated teachers. 
 
 Ayoung business man of Buffalo had a class of 
 nearly five hundred young men, from sixteen to 
 twenty-three years of age. Hundreds of those 
 young men were won to Christ. His pastor, 
 Dr. Gifford, gave as the reason that this teacher 
 was a past master in the art of prayer. I met 
 this teacher one day as he came to a Sunday 
 School convention at Saratoga. His face was 
 shining. He said: "I had a chance to speak 
 to four young men about Christ on the way to 
 this meeting. Oh, how I love these young 
 men! " 
 
 Dr. Edgar Blake tells of a stenographer who 
 took a class for him one Sunday as a substitute, 
 then another and another until she had a class 
 of three boys whom folks called " bad." But 
 she saw in them values that others failed to see. 
 
9© Plans for Sunday School Evangelism 
 
 Soon the class grew to twenty-three and twen- 
 ty-two of these were won to Christ by her work. 
 
 An old man in New York went back from a 
 Sunday School institute to his Sunday School 
 and asked for a class. It grew from six to 
 twenty-six. Twenty of these were won to 
 Christ by his faithful calling upon these boys at 
 their homes. 
 
 A teacher of fifteen boys spent two weeks at 
 camp with the boys. He spoke to each of them 
 about Christ. On the Sunday of his return 
 thirteen of the fifteen joined the church. 
 
VIII 
 HOME COOPERATION IN EVANGELISM 
 
 IN previous chapters we have suggested 
 plans by Mrhich the pastor, the superin- 
 tendent and the teacher may touch the 
 home in order that the scholar shall be effect- 
 ively reached for Christ. We shall here pre- 
 sent the home's opportunity and privilege in 
 evangelization and the ways in which the school 
 may be related helpfully to the home in promot- 
 ing vision and method for the home's spiritual 
 service to the children. 
 
 The home, plus the church school, is the 
 normal method of evangelization. The general 
 failure of the home to religiously educate the 
 child has thrown the process of developing the 
 child's spiritual life largely upon the Sunday 
 School. 
 
 The Sunday School is really the best method 
 to evangelize the home through its contacts, 
 messages, lessons, interests, influence, reaction. 
 And this chapter will have to do in part with the 
 multiplication of school contacts to bring about 
 the conversion of parents as well as children. 
 
 Nearly eighty per cent, of rescue workers 
 had early Christian teaching in their homes. 
 
 91 
 
92 Plans for Sunday School Evangelism 
 
 It was Sam Hadley's mother's face which came 
 before him with preventing power when he was 
 on his way to commit suicide. 
 
 In "Religious Education," Folsom tells us 
 that in his life's crisis it was the memory of his 
 mother's voice in prayer for him that pulled 
 him through. 
 
 In a Men and Religion Movement in St. 
 Louis Mr. W. C. Pearce tells that of 1,362 pres- 
 ent seventy-five per cent, were now in the Sun- 
 day School; all had been in the Sunday School 
 at some time, and all had been taught the Word 
 of God by mother, teacher or pastor. 
 
 Frances Willard turned aside a good offer in 
 order to stick to her temperance work at a time 
 when temperance was not so popular as now. 
 She started her active Hfe with a threadbare 
 dress, a Christian home, the Sunday School and 
 an iron heart. 
 
 In the San Francisco Sunday School Conven- 
 tion I was on the platform when Dr. J. Wilbur 
 Chapman asked those of the 4,000 Christian 
 workers present who had had Christian parents 
 to rise. Practically the entire audience arose. 
 
 May we name some concrete ways for the 
 establishment of the home as a center of Chris- 
 tian influence. 
 
 I. Home Atmosphere 
 Said a girl to her mother, when the years of 
 
Home Cooperation in Evangelism 93 
 
 maturity had come, " Don't you remember, 
 mother, those wonderful Sunday afternoons we 
 had when you read to me the stories of the 
 Bible and other stories? I shall never forget 
 those days." 
 
 In my own home, with three children, we 
 have worn out three of Foster's and Hurlbut's 
 "Stories of the Bible." These, with Bible 
 games, rotating Bible pictures, helped toward 
 those enjoyable afternoons which Dr. Paris tells 
 about in " Pleasant Sunday Afternoons." 
 
 Then there are those Sunday evenings of 
 song to remember. In our summer home in 
 the Catskills our eldest boy, since gone to the 
 long home, would play by ear scores of gospel 
 songs which would be sung by a roomful of 
 guests gathered in from surrounding cottages. 
 The interspersing of the singing with some sug- 
 gestive poem and a word of prayer at the close, 
 gave to those evenings a memory which abides 
 in their influence upon us. 
 
 When a boy of about twelve it was my 
 weekly duty and joy to select some Scripture 
 verse, which I wrote in chalk on the face of the 
 mantelpiece. That was the nearest we came 
 to obeying the injunction to the Jews in Deu- 
 teronomy 6:8, " And thou shalt write them 
 upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates." 
 Religion was naturalized in our home. And 
 mother never failed to encourage me in this 
 
94 Plans for Sunday School Evangelism 
 
 home service and to commend a particularly 
 good selection of Scripture. 
 
 And that row of family shoes which, as the 
 youngest in the family, it was my special duty to 
 shine up on Saturday nights in preparation for 
 Sunday morning service ! Shall I ever forget 
 them ! And I never forgot that there were five 
 men in that family. The " fly in the ointment " 
 was that I had no successor to my job. 
 
 In my Sunday School we distributed at one 
 time hundreds of the wall motto : " Christ is the 
 head of this house, the unseen guest at every 
 meal, the silent listener to every conversation." 
 And as I visited these homes later I found this 
 motto on the walls, placed there possibly by the 
 insistence of the child in some cases. 
 
 We also distributed several hundred fine 
 copies of " Washington in Prayer at Valley 
 F'orge " to all who would promise to frame and 
 hang these in their homes. 
 
 In our Beginners' and Primary Departments 
 we furnished to hundreds of homes a card, to be 
 hung up In the kitchen or dining or bedroom, 
 containing forms of grace at table, morning and 
 evening prayers, the latter for use with the chil- 
 dren. Many parents would be glad to use such 
 prayers if they knew of them. 
 
 2. The Famii^y Altar 
 There were ten of us in the home — grand- 
 
Home Cooperation in Evangelism 95 
 
 mother, father and mother, four boys and three 
 girls. We were a lively lot. But there wa.s 
 ten minutes of the day when we came together 
 at mother's or father's call at morning or even- 
 ing and listened to father as he read the Book 
 with a sense of its high value as indicated by 
 the tone of his voice. Especially did he major 
 in the prophecy of Isaiah. And then he talked 
 with God, as friend with friend, becoming the 
 family priest as our needs were presented by 
 one who knew the King. Little wonder that 
 when we celebrated the golden wedding of our 
 parents all of the forty-five children and grand- 
 children present were members of the church. 
 And yet neither father nor mother ever talked 
 with us, as I recall, about our joining the 
 church. Father and mother just lived out their 
 religion in a happy, joyous fashion, through 
 cloud and sunshine, hard financial years, and 
 bright ones. They sold us the goods from the 
 daily sample. 
 
 It is a good thing if the children are given 
 some part in the observance of family worship. 
 I had the duty of looking up some of the refer- 
 ences which appeared in the narrow column 
 alongside of the daily Scripture, and when the 
 older brothers or sisters sometimes thought this 
 prolonged the worship father would stand 
 for my work. 
 
 Mr. Wm. H. Ridgeway, of Coatesville, 
 
96 Plans for Sunday School Evangelism 
 
 Penna., enlisted the cooperation of his entire 
 Sunday School, and the neighbourhood, in in- 
 troducing the daily reading of the Bible, and at 
 least the Lord's prayer, in every home. He 
 offered an attractive reward to a representative 
 in every home where for a year the Scripture 
 portion was read daily in the family hearing and 
 the Lord's prayer repeated. For this purpose 
 he furnished, through the scholars, a weekly 
 card, indicating the readings for each day. 
 These cards were to be marked on the reverse 
 side with the record of the week and were re- 
 turned to the school and used in computing the 
 yearly result. You can be sure that those boys 
 and girls saw that the family paused long 
 enough each day to hear the selection read. 
 There are large values in this plan. 
 
 The Home Department has a special recog- 
 nition for those who observe family prayer in 
 the home and who use the Home Department 
 daily Scripture portion or the Daily Home 
 Readings for the Scripture for the day. 
 
 The Family Altar League has hundreds of 
 thousands now registered as observers of family 
 prayer. A card is signed pledging the signers 
 to daily prayer and Bible reading in the 
 home. 
 
 A New York Presbytery initiated a Family 
 Altar Campaign in its churches. The session 
 of each church became a committee with the 
 
Home Cooperation in Evangelism 97 
 
 pastor to canvass the entire congregation to 
 pledge every family for daily family worship. 
 
 One of the great needs of to-day is a country- 
 wide effort on the part of the Sunday Schools 
 to link up the home and the school through 
 the daily reading in the home of God's Word 
 and the recognition, through daily prayer, 
 of God's right to the love and service of each 
 
 life. 
 
 3. Mother and Chii<d 
 
 A Christian mother said, with tears in her 
 eyes, " Pastor, I want you to talk to my four- 
 teen-year-old boy about becoming a Christian. 
 I think you could lead him to decision now." 
 " Have you ever talked with him yourself? " in- 
 quired the pastor. " Oh, no," said the mother. 
 " I couldn't do it, but I want you to." " That 
 I will not do," said the pastor, " until you have 
 first talked with him. That is a duty God has 
 laid upon you as a mother. It is also a privi- 
 lege, and I dare not take it from you." She 
 hesitated a moment and said, " I will do it if 
 you will pray for me." That mother entered 
 her room, lifted her heart to God in prayer, ob- 
 tained the victory, found her boy and said, 
 " John, I have been praying for you ; don't you 
 want to become a Christian? " " Yes, mother, 
 I do." Together they prayed and the boy 
 yielded his life to Christ. With great joy she 
 found her pastor and said, " I want to thank 
 
98 Plans for Sunday School Evangelism 
 
 you for the privilege I have had. My boy has 
 given his heart to Christ." And that mother 
 and boy entered into a spiritual comradeship 
 from that time. 
 
 4. Mother and Teacher 
 Strange it is that mothers accept the service 
 of the Sunday School as the expected thing, 
 v^ithout thought of cooperation or appreciation. 
 The teacher's work would be greatly lightened 
 if there was as much real cooperation between 
 the mothers and the Sunday School teacher as 
 between the home and the public school 
 teacher. This cooperation would be more 
 likely if the mother felt that soul cultivation 
 was as important as the culture of the mind, 
 that mind training would be worthless without 
 a character foundation. 
 
 We have suggested ways in which the teacher 
 can bring about a closer cooperation. If every 
 mother would look over the lesson home mate- 
 rial for the child each week and assist in its 
 preparation a vast change would be wrought in 
 the character of Sunday School work. 
 
 The service which the teacher renders the 
 home is invaluable and yet there is rarely a 
 mother who ever says, or writes to the teacher, 
 a word of appreciation of that teacher's self- 
 sacrificing work. Why not begin such recog- 
 nition and cooperation? 
 
Home Cooperation in Evangelism 99 
 
 5. Parent-Teacher Training 
 In the last few years great advances have 
 been made in bringing together teachers and 
 parents in gatherings and classes. These have 
 the effect of helping the teacher to get the par- 
 ents' view-point and to assist the parents, 
 through definite parent courses, to function in 
 the proper home training of their children. 
 
 For this training process special courses are 
 prepared with the purpose of securing a knowl- 
 edge of a child's psychology, the laws of phys- 
 ical and spiritual growth and the times of special 
 sensitiveness to the Divine call. 
 
 These meetings for training may be held dur- 
 ing the week, and if arranged in departmental 
 parents' groups there will be an advantage be- 
 cause the courses for the special ages of the 
 children can then be separately studied. 
 
 6. Parents' Classes 
 These are intended for Sunday attendance. 
 In the Sunday School of which I am superin- 
 tendent I noticed that a number of mothers 
 came with the children of the Beginners' De- 
 partment and sat about the Beginners' room. 
 I suggested their organization into a Beginners* 
 mothers' class. This class soon numbered 
 sixty mothers. They organized, took the name 
 of Royal Daughters, adopted a class pin, initi- 
 ated a program of service for mothers' work. 
 
lOO" "'Plans for Sunday School Evangelism 
 
 and met once a month in a social way. Occa- 
 sionally there would be a mothers' prayer and 
 testimony service to quicken their Christian life 
 or to lead some to Christ. 
 
 When the children of these mothers were 
 promoted the mothers were promoted as a pri- 
 mary mothers' class. Their place was taken by 
 a new class of Beginners' Department mothers. 
 So the process has gone on. A Cradle Roll 
 mothers' class was formed from the mothers 
 who came, with their one to three year old chil- 
 dren, to visit the Cradle Roll class of thirty, 
 which occupied a corner of the Beginners' 
 room. 
 
 Then we noticed three fathers who came 
 regularly, with their wives, to the Beginners' 
 Department. We challenged them to organize 
 a fathers' class to match up with the Beginners' 
 mothers' class. The men accepted the chal- 
 lenge and soon had twenty-five fathers in that 
 class. The mothers fitted out a room for the 
 men in the tower of the church. These fathers 
 called themselves the " Tower Class " and took 
 as their motto, "The men higher up." Soon 
 every man of the twenty-five who had not been 
 a Christian came into the church. The class 
 grew until seventy-five men registered as mem- 
 bers. The pastor teaches it. 
 
 In the Moody Sunday School, Chicago, there 
 is a mixed class of seventy-five fathers and 
 
Home Cooperation in Evangelism loi 
 
 mothers of the smaller children. The babies 
 are brought in go-carts and carriages and are 
 taken care of in the school nursery while the 
 parents are in the class session. 
 
 A special course of lessons for these parents' 
 classes has been developed and is published by 
 the Methodist Book Concern and possibly by 
 other denominational agencies. 
 
 These classes form exceptional opportunities 
 for contacts and talks which shall align the 
 home and school for a program of evangehsm. 
 The combined meeting of these parents' classes 
 gives to pastor and superintendent a great 
 chance in building the interest of the parents 
 toward Decision Day, to answer questions and 
 to give helpful suggestions as to just how the 
 home can cooperate in the school plans. 
 
 How important this is can be understood 
 from this incident. In the Adirondack country 
 a pastor had a class of twenty-one boys and 
 girls, every one of whom, except one, was kept 
 from joining the church by the indifference of 
 their parents. One mother who objected to 
 her child joining the church at twelve, when 
 questioned, admitted she had herself joined at 
 thirteen. 
 
 7. Parents' Week-day Organizations 
 The Sunday School has learned a lesson from 
 the public school. It is organizing mothers' or 
 
102 Plans for Sunday School Evangelism 
 
 parents' associations, with officers and commit- 
 tees elected from these parents, with weekly or 
 monthly meetings, afternoon or evening, and 
 with a worth-while social and service pro- 
 gram. 
 
 The pamphlet on " Mothers' Associations," 
 by Mrs. W. F. Heath (Sunday School Times 
 Company), outlines plans for a year's program 
 for such an association. 
 
 In my school we have had such an association 
 for over twenty years. From seventy-five to 
 one hundred mothers attend a monthly meet- 
 ing. Pastor, superintendent and teachers here 
 come in contact with the mothers, give occa- 
 sional helpful talks and cooperate with the 
 mothers' committee in shaping the program. 
 We found that these mothers needed and wel- 
 comed help, and were enthusiastic workers in 
 the organization. The mothers' classes were 
 the backbone of the association. 
 
 Here the mothers can receive literature and 
 suggestions as to children's prayers, grace at 
 table, family prayer. A mothers' library has 
 been purchased by the gifts of these mothers. 
 
 Such an organization can be utilized in ac- 
 quainting the members with the school's Deci- 
 sion Day plans, and as an opportunity of point- 
 ing to the mothers* privilege of saying, " come,'* 
 rather than " go " to their own children when 
 the child's spiritual life needs guidance. 
 
Home Cooperation in EvangSlisBB I03 
 
 8. Parents' Socials 
 
 These may be held in connection with the 
 monthly meeting of the Parents' or Mothers* 
 Association, or as class parents' socials or as 
 departmental parents' socials. 
 
 A neat card of invitation should be sent. An 
 introduction committee should meet the 
 mothers and acquaint them with each other. 
 Teachers of classes should find the mothers of 
 their scholars and bring them into a group for 
 a get-acquainted game. School or outside tal- 
 ent, light refreshments, some games, a good 
 talk by pastor or superintendent, an exhibit of 
 scholars' work, will be the natural items of such 
 a meeting. 
 
 The pastor has here an opportunity of getting 
 well acquainted with more mothers than in 
 months of visitation. One pastor used such an 
 opportunity of making a talk concerning a com- 
 ing Decision Day. He said: 
 
 " No one has so many cords drawing them 
 to Christ as has a mother. He has allowed her 
 to kindle a spark which will shine on when the 
 stars have burned down in their sockets and 
 gone out. Once your child was not; he will 
 never cease to be, and what he is for all the 
 eternities depends upon you more than upon 
 any agency in the world. God gave you a soul 
 to train, not for yourself but for Him, not for 
 time but for eternity. You are concerned to 
 
104 f*J^"S for Sunday School Evangelism 
 
 know what he will do but God and the angels 
 are interested to know what he will be. Char- 
 acter is greater than place. Your child is here, 
 not to make a living, but to grow a soul. What 
 you can do to help in that work must be done 
 now. A little while and it will be too late. 
 There is only one chance out of four that your 
 child will become a Christian after he is twenty 
 years old. If you have not given your own 
 heart to God, how can you train another life for 
 Him?" 
 
 9. Letters to Parents 
 
 Few parents will fail to heed the courteous 
 and earnest request for cooperation on the lines 
 suggested in the following letter from the Grace 
 Presbyterian Sunday School, Brooklyn, signed 
 by pastor and superintendent: 
 
 "To THE Parents of Members of Grace Presby- 
 terian Sunday SchooIv: 
 
 "Dear Friend: — The pastor, officers and teachers 
 of Grace Presbyterian Sunday School desire your 
 cooperation in making Palm Sunday next, March 
 20th, an acknowledgment day for those who desire 
 to follow Jesus Christ, their Saviour, and make 
 Him the King of their lives. We have given each 
 member of our School a card for signature like one 
 of the enclosed to be used, If a church member, as a 
 fuller consecration than ever before to His service; 
 or as a first acknowledgment of His Kingship over 
 their lives to those that have not before confessed 
 Him. 
 
 " Will you not advise with your child or children 
 
Home Cooperation in Evangelism 105 
 
 about this important step? If you wish cards for 
 your own signature, as an example and help to them 
 in the most important decision of their lives for their 
 spiritual development and their eternal welfare, we 
 shall be glad to furnish them. We are earnestly 
 praying for our scholars and their homes that this 
 may be indeed a day of great blessing to them all. " 
 
 10. Home Visitor 
 
 The pastor, superintendent and teacher reach 
 the home occasionally. It will be found of value 
 if a wise district visitor can be found to whom 
 shall be assigned a certain number of the school 
 families for general and regular contact, help 
 and report to pastor or superintendent. This 
 visitor may be a visitor of the Home Depart- 
 ment. It may be some one who can be trusted 
 to keep helpfully in touch with the homes with 
 the purpose of lining up every member of the 
 home circle for membership in the school or 
 church. 
 
 That visitor should be armed with some good 
 literature for the home, and if possible be able 
 to pray with the mother and to confer about the 
 spiritual interests of the home circle. Such a 
 plan I carried through for some time at our 
 school. 
 
IX 
 
 COMMUNITY COOPERATIVE SUNDAY 
 SCHOOL EVANGELISM 
 
 DR. WATKINSON of England says that 
 gravitation gave the daisy its shape, 
 the ocean gave it moisture, the ether 
 gave it life, the sun, ninety millions of miles 
 away, painted it, electricity gave it vitality. 
 
 All forces must combine in the interest of the 
 soul of a child. Through associated community 
 Sunday School effort we must help pastor, su- 
 perintendent, teacher and parent to become 
 master workmen in developing the tremendous 
 values wrapped up in the spiritual life of a child. 
 We shall suggest some of the federated 
 forces and plans in the field of Sunday School 
 evangelism. 
 
 I. The Sunday SchooIv Association 
 (a) The International Sunday School Asso- 
 ciation has a department or committee on Sun- 
 day School evangelism which develops similar 
 departments in State and Provincial Sunday 
 School Associations. These departments intro- 
 duce programs on Sunday School evangelism at 
 state conventions, promote institutes for dis- 
 
 io6 
 
Community Cooperative 107 
 
 cusslon of plans of evangelism, develop litera- 
 ture for distribution, organize counties and 
 cities for similar work. 
 
 Some of the leaflets produced by this depart- 
 ment of the International Association, which in 
 some instances are reprinted by the States, are 
 " Decision Day," " Best Paying Business on 
 Earth," and Round Table Leaflet on " Personal 
 Work— Soul Winning." 
 
 (b) The World's Sunday School Association 
 has published " Suggestions for Soul Winners 
 in the Sunday School " and " Two Illustrated 
 Sermons," these sermons being charts showing 
 that childhood should be won to Christ because 
 it is the most propitious time .for soul winning, 
 and because of the greater and longer service it 
 can render. It quotes from Dr. Meyer: " If the 
 world is ever to be saved, the children must be 
 saved " ; and from Hon. John Wanamaker : 
 " Save an adult and you save a unit ; save a child 
 and you save a whole multiplication table." 
 
 (c) The International Association, in co- 
 operation with the denominational Sunday 
 School leaders, has established a standard for 
 the individual school, one of the points of which 
 is the observance of a day once a year when def- 
 inite decisions for Christ shall be had. 
 
 (d) The State and Provincial Sunday School 
 Associations have organized evangelistic de- 
 partments. 
 
lo8 Plans for Sunday School Evangelism 
 
 Alabama has a department of evangelism 
 which plans a State-wide Decision Day and 
 which has as its motto the following from Dr. 
 H. M. Hamill : " The greatest thing in the world 
 is the conversion of a human soul; and the 
 greatest conversion in the world is the conver- 
 sion of a little child." 
 
 The aim of the department is 
 
 (1) To enlist the whole community in the 
 study of the Word of God through the Sunday 
 School. 
 
 (2) To lead every pupil in the Sunday 
 School, of proper age, to accept Jesus Christ as 
 his personal Saviour and Lord, publicly confess 
 Him by joining the church, and engage in def- 
 inite Christian service. 
 
 It quotes : " We cannot save the people unless 
 we teach them ; and we cannot teach them 
 unless we reach them." 
 
 There are 3,000 Sunday Schools in Alabama. 
 In one city of that State, Birmingham, 1,072 
 united with the church from the Sunday Schools 
 as the result of observance of three city-wide 
 Decision Days. 
 
 2. Community Meetings 
 (a) The New York State Sunday School 
 Association employed for some years a Superin- 
 tendent of Evangelism, Miss Alice Miriam 
 Gamlin, who worked in communities in coopera- 
 
Community Cooperative 109 
 
 tion with pastors and Sunday School superin- 
 tendents. Her work was wise, free from ab- 
 normal, reactive features and was widely com- 
 mended by pastors and laymen. Her principal 
 work was with the teachers and through the 
 teachers' cooperation with groups of younger 
 and older scholars. The plan was to hold a 
 forty-five minute service for boys and girls each 
 afternoon, except Saturday, immediately after 
 the closing of the public school; also a service 
 each evening except Monday and Saturday, for 
 young people. These meetings extended over 
 a period of ten to fourteen days. Miss Gamlin 
 conducted these meetings in thirty-seven of the 
 cities of the State. 
 
 (b) The Brooklyn Sunday School Union, as 
 the result of a city-wide observance of Palm 
 Sunday as a Lenten Mission Acknowledgment 
 Day, secured over five thousand decisions and 
 additions to the churches of the city from the 
 Sunday Schools. This result was obtained 
 through the cooperation of the Union with the 
 Ministers' Committee and the Laymen's Coun- 
 cil. The city was organized by districts. Meet- 
 ings of pastors, superintendents and workers 
 were held before Acknowledgment Day and 
 were addressed by prepared speakers. Dis- 
 cussions were held as to plans to be followed. 
 
 The letter sent by the Brooklyn committee 
 read as follows: 
 
1 10 Plans for Sunday School Evangelism 
 
 LENTEN MISSION 
 ACKNOWLEDGMENT DAY 
 
 To Pastors and Superintendents of Brooklyn: 
 
 Dear Friend : 
 
 Palm Sunday, March 20, 19 10, is to be ob- 
 served throughout the Sunday Schools of Brooklyn as 
 Acknowledgment Day. The Brooklyn Sunday School 
 Union has given the plan their endorsement and are 
 cooperating with the committee of laymen and min- 
 isters throughout the Borough in making it the most 
 notable day ever held in the Sunday Schools of 
 Brooklyn to secure open acknowledgment for Christ 
 on the part of those scholars in our Sunday Schools 
 who are of responsible age and who are determined 
 to follow Christ. Every pastor and superintendent 
 is free to conduct an Acknowledgment Service ac- 
 cording to their judgment in view of the local con- 
 ditions in their Sunday School; we have no desire 
 to impose any mechanical program upon either the 
 pastors or the officers of the Sunday Schools, but 
 simply to suggest ways and means which have been 
 efficient elsewhere. A series of district conferences, 
 including all the Sunday Schools of Brooklyn, will 
 be held at which will be presented the following 
 themes by leading Christian workers of the Borough: 
 
 I. WHY OBSERVE PALM SUNDAY AS ACKNOWLEDG- 
 MENT DAY? 
 
 II. THE teachers' PART IN IT. 
 III. THE pastor's and OFFICERS' PART IN IT. 
 IV. HOW IT WORKS. 
 
 The conference will equip your teachers to lead 
 their scholars to Christ and to open acknowledgment 
 of Him as Saviour and Lord. We ask your coopera- 
 tion in the observance of March 20 as Acknowledg- 
 ment Day in your Sunday School and also in secur- 
 ing the presence of your entire staff of Sunday School 
 officers and teachers at your district meeting. Ttie 
 
Community Cooperative 111 
 
 entire Borough is districted, and the plan includes 
 every Sunday School in Brooklyn. The place and 
 speakers for your district are given below. Will you 
 give repeated notice of your district meeting from 
 your pulpit, or in your church calendar, as we are 
 depending solely upon you for the presence of your 
 workers? May we ask for an immediate return of 
 the enclosed postal card so as to assist us in securing 
 data for an intelligent work throughout the Borough. 
 We request you to unite in special prayer for the 
 young people of the entire Borough, and that Ac- 
 knowledgment Day shall result in multitudes of them 
 crowning Christ the King of their Lives on this 
 Palm Sunday. 
 
 E. R. Carhart, 
 President Brooklyn Sunday School Union. 
 
 J. W. CUMMINGS, 
 
 Chairman Acknowledgment Day Committee. 
 D. W. Mc Williams, 
 
 President Laymen's Council. 
 Theodore S. Henderson, 
 Chairman Ministers^ Committee. 
 
 Your district meeting wilt be held on Thursday evening, 
 March 3, at 8 o'clock, in the Bushwick Avenue Methodist 
 Episcopal Church, corner Bushzvick Avenue and Madison 
 Street. The speakers are Dr. F. W. Hannan, Dr. M. S. 
 Littlefield, Dr. W. I. Southerton and Mr. Frank L. Brown. 
 
 At another time the Union sent a letter to 
 the superintendents regarding Decision Day 
 and enclosing three leaflets as suggestive of the 
 material available for distribution by the schools 
 to their teachers, namely, " Spiritual Life in the 
 Sunday School," "A Soul Saving Sunday 
 School," " Early Conversion of Sunday School 
 Scholars." 
 
 (c) Philadelphia observed Sunday School 
 
112 Plans for Sunday School Evangelism 
 
 Week from January 25th to February 1st. The 
 Decision Day was observed on February 1st. 
 This plan has been followed for several years in 
 Philadelphia with increasing favour. 
 
 The Bergen County, N. J., Sunday School 
 Association has an evangelistic department 
 which distributes tracts, organizes institutes 
 and visits Sunday Schools to promote Sunday 
 School evangelism. " Forward Step Day " was 
 introduced in these schools with good results. 
 This plan is outlined below. 
 
 In one school the county ofiftcers promoted a 
 Teachers' Consecration Service and at the Sun- 
 day morning services during March, when the 
 pastor and superintendent made addresses on 
 such subjects as " The need and importance of 
 decision for Christ." 
 
 Mr. Percy M. Christie, county superintend- 
 ent of that evangelistic department, promoted 
 an Evangelistic Missionary Institute, empha- 
 sizing both evangelism and missions. There 
 was an exhibit of international and other evan- 
 gelism leaflets and books. An address on 
 " Every Sunday School Teacher an Evangelist " 
 was made, with the points driven home that 
 the Sunday School teacher as a soul seeker 
 must sow, grow, pray, plant, fish, fight, fear not, 
 remember the reward. 
 
 The following outline was presented and dis- 
 cussed : 
 
Community Cooperative 113 
 
 1. The evangelization of the Sunday School. 
 
 (a) A consecrated superintendent. 
 
 (b) A consecrated teacher for each class, 
 
 2. Purpose of each teacher : 
 
 (a) The conversion of the pupil. 
 
 (b) The development of the pupil. 
 
 3. Unity of purpose by : 
 
 (a) United prayer, privately and in groups. 
 
 (b) Teaching to the point. 
 
 4. A definite program, with fixed dates for effort 
 
 by the school. 
 
 5. Effective Christian service of the pupil. 
 
 The card inviting workers to the institute 
 included as questions: 
 
 What can be done to cut down the number 
 of Sunday Schools reporting no accessions to 
 the church? 
 
 What can be done to increase the number of 
 church accessions in all our schools? 
 
 3. Sunday SchooIv Week 
 The plans for the observance in America of 
 Sunday School Week were initiated by the In- 
 ternational Sunday School Association and are 
 embraced in their Decision Day Leaflet No, 1, 
 and Round Table Leaflet No. 9 on Sunday 
 School Week and Decision Day. They include 
 the following suggestions : 
 
 (1) In every State, Province or Territory, 
 or at least in every county, there should be set 
 apart a week known as Sunday School Week. 
 During this week mass meetings should be 
 
1 14 Plans for Sunday School Evangelism 
 
 arranged for each city, district, township or 
 church community. The burden of all these 
 meetings should be to awaken an interest in the 
 conversion of our young people. 
 
 (2) Request all pastors to preach on the 
 importance of early conversion on the opening 
 Sunday of Sunday School Week. 
 
 (3) Ask the Young People's Societies to 
 devote the evening service to Sunday School 
 work on this opening Sunday. If this service 
 could be put in charge of the Sunday School 
 Committee it would be mutually helpful. 
 
 (4) Superintendents should call their teach- 
 ers and officers together, secure their counsel 
 and cooperation, and begin to plan for Decision 
 Day at least one month in advance. 
 
 (5) If Sunday School Week is observed, a 
 copy of the week's program should be put in 
 the hands of each officer and teacher. 
 
 (6) Any helpful literature, such as Dr. J. 
 Wilbur Chapman's booklet on " Decision Day," 
 should be furnished to all Sunday School teach- 
 ers. 
 
 (Y) One or more special prayer-meetings 
 should be held in connection with each Sunday 
 School. 
 
 (8) The mid-week church prayer-meeting 
 preceding Decision Day should be devoted to 
 the Sunday School. Let the teachers make a 
 special effort to secure the presence of their 
 
Community Cooperative 115 
 
 scholars at this meeting, and make it a season 
 of earnest prayer on the part of parents and 
 workers for the salvation of the young. 
 
 (9) Teachers should be encouraged to visit 
 the scholars in their homes, and by personal 
 interviews seek to lead them to a decision for 
 Christ. If a visit is impossible an earnest letter 
 making a personal appeal may reach their 
 hearts and win them for Christ. 
 
 (10) If confession or decision cards are used 
 care should be taken that each teacher 
 thoroughly understands their meaning. 
 
 Mr. W. B. Jacobs, then secretary of the Illi- 
 nois Sunday School Association, issued a call to 
 all Sunday School workers of the State for the 
 annual observance of *' Sunday School Week." 
 The second Sunday of February was set for 
 Decision Day. Mr. Jacobs made the following 
 practical suggestions in his circular to the su- 
 perintendents: 
 
 " Whatever else is done, or not done, the 
 following suggestions can be carried out in your 
 school : 
 
 " (1) Let the superintendent call a meeting 
 of all ofificers and teachers for the first Sunday 
 in February, unfold to them his plans, secure 
 their cooperation, and give each one a copy of 
 Dr. Chapman's booklet, ' Decision Day in the 
 Sunday School.' 
 
 " (2) Agree upon a definite hour of each 
 
Il6 Plans for Sunday School Evangelism 
 
 day, during which hour every officer and 
 teacher shall devote ten minutes to specific 
 prayer for God's blessing upon the entire school, 
 officers, teachers and scholars. 
 
 " (3) Urge your teachers also to pray each 
 day for their scholars by name, and the officers 
 to pray daily for each teacher by name. 
 
 " (4) Appoint a twenty minute prayer- 
 meeting for Decision Day Sunday, to immedi- 
 ately precede the school hour (or, if school be 
 held at noon, immediately preceding the morn- 
 ing service) and request all officers and teach- 
 ers to be present on time so as not to lose one 
 moment. 
 
 " (5) Ask each teacher during this week to 
 visit, if possible, or write a personal note to, 
 absent scholars, requesting their attendance at 
 Sunday School the following Sunday." 
 
 In China and India the plan of a week of 
 evangelism has been carried out for several 
 years. In this church and Sunday School mem- 
 bers cooperate. The workers are trained to a 
 message and then go out to various districts of 
 the city and to the near-by villages visiting 
 homes and holding meetings. It is a personal 
 workers* campaign, which greatly strengthens 
 the native Christian and has been exceedingly 
 fruitful. 
 
 In Japan a three years' evangelistic campaign 
 has been carried out through the cooperation of 
 
Community Cooperative 117 
 
 the National Sunday School Association of 
 Japan. It was discovered that most of those 
 who, in this campaign, made a confession of 
 Christ, had been at some time attendants upon 
 a Sunday School. 
 
 In Korea and in the Philippines similar evan- 
 gelistic campaigns have been carried forward. 
 The adult classes in the Sunday Schools of these 
 countries have been active workers in these 
 campaigns. 
 
 It is planned to extend the movement for a 
 week of Sunday School and church evangelism 
 around the world. 
 
 4. Sunday School Workers' Retreats 
 This plan too has been promoted by the 
 International Sunday School Association in 
 America, and by the World's Sunday School 
 Association upon its fields, particularly in China, 
 Korea and Japan. These retreats consist largely 
 of conferences and were led in part by Mr. Buch- 
 man in China and Japan. They have for their 
 purpose deepening of the spiritual life, person- 
 alizing the work of soul winning, and seek 
 through confession of sin, and individual work 
 for individuals, to extend the Kingdom. 
 
 As promoted by the International Associa- 
 tion the " Sunday School Workers' Retreats " 
 assume the form of a day, or an afternoon and 
 evening session by pastors, superintendents and 
 
1 1 8 Plans for Sunday School Evangelism 
 
 teachers in a given church or community, for 
 prayer and conference upon the spiritual life 
 and work of the workers and the school. 
 
 Such a " Retreat " was held in Chicago with 
 representatives of fifty Sunday Schools present. 
 The meeting lasted for an afternoon and even- 
 ing. It was tender and impressive, with many 
 manifestations of the presence and power of 
 God. Those present felt more keenly than 
 ever their personal responsibility for soul win- 
 ning, and there was many a consecration of life 
 for more intense service. 
 
 The themes suggested are " Deepening the 
 Spiritual Life," " What it Means to Be a Soul- 
 Winner." The suggestion is made that at least 
 two such meetings be held in every Sunday 
 School or community, one to be held in the 
 early fall and the other in midwinter. 
 
 The following specific suggestions are made 
 concerning these " Retreats " : 
 
 (1) Do not advertise the "Retreat" pub- 
 licly in the school. 
 
 (2) Do not seek for a large meeting but use 
 every endeavour to secure the presence of all 
 your officers and teachers. 
 
 (3) Do not put anything on the program 
 that would detract from the main purpose. 
 
 (4) Secure some leaflets on evangelism and 
 soul winning and place them in the hands of 
 your workers before or at the meeting. 
 
Community Cooperative 119 
 
 (5) Impress the importance of conducting 
 every session of your Sunday Scliool in such a 
 manner as to make it as easy as possible for the 
 teachers to tell " the old, old story " and to 
 awaken interest in Jesus Christ as a Saviour. 
 
 {Note. — In a graded Sunday School the de- 
 partments will meet in separate rooms, which 
 gives a much better opportunity for an appeal 
 suited to the understanding and needs of the 
 different groups.) 
 
 (6) Urge your teachers to meet their pupils 
 one by one and endeavour to lead them to 
 Christ. 
 
 (7) Encourage the practice of using a 
 prayer list of the members of the class, and 
 urge all Christians in the class to join in prayer 
 for the conversion of their classmates. 
 
 (8) Recommend the observance of at least 
 one Decision Day and one or two Forward 
 Step Days each year. 
 
 (9) Urge all of the workers to read at least 
 one or more good books or pamphlets on Sun- 
 day School evangelism. 
 
 (10) Secure workers' leaflets or booklets, 
 of which there are many, prepared especially 
 for the purpose of teaching how to win souls 
 to Christ. 
 
 Five essentials in becoming a winner of souls 
 are suggested for consideration by workers in 
 connection with these " Retreats " : 
 
120 Plans for Sunday School Evangelism 
 
 (1) Your own life should be radiant with 
 the victory that comes through faith and trust 
 in Jesus Christ. 
 
 (2) You should endeavour to appreciate the 
 value of a soul. 
 
 (3) You should believe that one who rejects 
 Jesus Christ as a personal Saviour is lost. 
 
 (4) You should have a passion for winning 
 the unsaved. 
 
 (5) You should realize your own personal 
 responsibility to God for bringing this lost 
 world to Him. 
 
 5. Forward Step Meetings ■ 
 These meetings are promoted for dififerent 
 purposes: sometimes for workers as dedica- 
 tion or consecration meetings; sometimes for 
 Christian young people to dedicate themselves 
 for partial or entire life service; sometimes as 
 decision days for young people. 
 
 Mr. John L. Alexander and Mr. R. A. Waite 
 of the Young People's Department of the Inter- 
 national Association have carried forward in 
 the quadrennium ending with 1918 over 1,000 
 teen age conferences in the United States and 
 Canada, at practically all of which Forward 
 Step plans were presented. Over 150,000 young 
 people attended these meetings and 50,000 de- 
 cisions were made. Forward Step cards are 
 signed at these gatherings. 
 .The Bergen County Sunday School Associa- 
 
Community Cooperative 121 
 
 tion issued the following- card for its " Forward 
 Step " work : 
 
 THE FORWARD STEP 
 
 Are YOU willing to take a Forward Step 
 in the Christian life, or toward the life that 
 is Christ controlled? If so, please indicate 
 by an (X) mark opposite the following sug- 
 gestions or add on the bottom of the card 
 your own statement: 
 [ ] 1. I will read my Bible every day. 
 [ ] 2. I will pray every day for the sal- 
 vation or safe-keeping of some friend. 
 [ ] 3. I will pray every day for myself. 
 [ ] 4. I will try to speak a kind word to 
 
 some one every day. 
 [ ] 5. I will make companions only of 
 those who are pure and true in speech 
 and acts. 
 [ ] 6. I will show the kind, forgiving 
 spirit as Christ would have me do to 
 all. 
 [ ] 7. I will attend Church services reg- 
 ularly at least once each Lord's day. 
 [ ] 8. I will watch, pray and work for 
 
 the salvation and help of OTHERS. 
 [ ] 9. I want to be and do what Jestis 
 
 would have me be and do. 
 10. 
 
 Name . 
 Address 
 Date . . . 
 
 These meetings can be held in an individual 
 school and have been so held for groups of older 
 boys or older girls. 
 
122 Plans for Sunday School Evangelism 
 
 6. Church Commissions for Evangeustic Work 
 
 These commissions of the various denomina- 
 tional bodies have all stressed the Sunday- 
 School and the young people's organizations as 
 their finest and most fruitful field of operation. 
 They have produced an excellent literature for 
 use in the Sunday School, and have cordially 
 supported all plans that would magnify the 
 Sunday School as the whitest portion of the 
 church's harvest field. 
 
 The New York East Conference Commission 
 on Evangelistic Work issued the following cir- 
 cular to the ministers of the conference bearing 
 upon the evangelistic work in the Sunday 
 School. 
 
 Dear Brother: 
 
 Last June our Commission sent out a circular 
 letter with reference to evangelistic work in the Sun- 
 day School and among the children. That circular 
 contained these two questions: (i) What have you 
 found to be the special difficulties in the way of 
 evangelizing children? (2) What methods have you 
 found most successful in overcoming those difficul- 
 ties? 
 
 A large and interesting correspondence has resulted 
 from these questions. In stating the difficulties there 
 is general agreement that the greatest obstacles are 
 not with the children themselves, but with those who 
 deal with them. Many children come from homes 
 that are irreligious. Some come from homes that are 
 nominally Christian, but worldly in spirit. Some 
 come from homes where the parents are earnest and 
 devout, but wholly lacking in sympathy with child- 
 
Community Cooperative 123 
 
 hood religion. The unfavourable environment is 
 often created by the Sunday School, when its officers 
 and teachers oppose any genuine effort to evangelize 
 the young. Sometimes the church sets up standards 
 of piety for the children which are wholly inappli- 
 cable, and refuses to recognize the saved condition of 
 any who will not measure up to those standards. 
 
 All this makes plain that it is our first duty to pro- 
 claim the attitude of the Methodist Episcopal Church 
 with regard to children, as set forth in Paragraphs 
 49 and 50 of the Discipline. Sermons should be 
 preached upon it. Mothers' meetings should be held 
 with this object in view, and in private conversation 
 those having to do with children, parents and Sunday 
 School teachers especially, should be made to see the 
 tremendous importance of this whole matter. 
 
 The use of Decision Day has approved itself as a 
 wise method to most pastors who are sincerely seek- 
 ing to reach the young. In the larger churches it 
 can only be made effective by careful and systematic 
 preparation. In the smaller churches the success is 
 likely to be equally proportionate to the care given 
 to this matter of preparation. We earnestly exhort 
 all our pastors to give much attention to this whole 
 matter, and to be definite and vigorous in their plans. 
 We are sure that the Holy Spirit will cooperate in 
 the work. 
 
 Enclosed are samples of literature which your 
 Commission takes pleasure in sending to you. If you 
 will read these leaflets through it will be time wisely 
 spent. Circulate them through your church and 
 Sunday School. 
 
 Our earnest desire and prayer is that you may be 
 greatly blessed in all your work for the salvation of 
 young and old. 
 
 Yours in the name of the Commission, and in the 
 fellowship of Christian service, 
 
X 
 
 USE OF LETTERS AND CARDS IN 
 EVANGELISM 
 
 THE letter and card forms reproduced 
 here are related in most part to Chap- 
 ters XI and XII. They are assembled 
 here for convenience of reference. 
 
 It is not expected that these forms, unless it 
 be some of the card forms, shall be used exactly 
 as given. They may be suggestive of what can 
 be done in any school, for they have all been in 
 actual use. They are adaptable, in part at least, 
 in many situations. Their spirit and purpose 
 can be caught and applied. They are intended 
 to help many a pastor, superintendent and 
 teacher in the work of Sunday School and home 
 evangelism. 
 
 I. Forms of Letters to Teachers 
 
 (a) Before Decision Day. 
 
 (From superintendent or pastor.) 
 
 BusHwiCK Avenue-Central 
 Methodist Episcopal Sunday School 
 
 Brooklyn, N. Y. 
 Dear Friend : 
 
 The first two weeks of February have been set 
 apart by our Church for special Evangelistic meet- 
 
 124 
 
Use of Letters and Cards 125 
 
 ings. Mr. Meredith is to lead the Chorus. On Feb- 
 ruary 7th and 14th special meetings are to be held in 
 the Sunday School, Mr. Meredith assisting. 
 
 It is suggested and planned that Sunday February 
 14th be observed as Decision Day in the Junior and 
 Senior Departments, although we pray that many 
 of our scholars shall come to this life step before 
 then. The Decision Day Committee suggest that it 
 may not be wise to publish the selection of Decision 
 Day to our scholars but request every teacher to pray 
 earnestly and constantly that this Day and these 
 meetings shall be the time when hundreds of our 
 scholars shall find Christ as their personal Saviour 
 and Lord. 
 
 It is affectionately urged upon the teachers of these 
 departments that they shall use these wonderful les- 
 sons in the Acts of the Apostles during the coming 
 Sundays, as the foundation of individual or class 
 appeal, and that we seek for our own lives as officers 
 and teachers the incoming and indwelling of that 
 Mighty Spirit, who is given to lead us into all Truth, 
 to a better soul satisfying vision of Christ, to com- 
 panionship with God, and to a self-forgetful and joy- 
 ful service for our King. We cannot lead our 
 scholars, further or higher, than our own personal 
 knowledge of the Christ. 
 
 I pray that the coming weeks shall be times of 
 empowerment and refreshing and salvation. In 
 some ways, by letter, visit, or personal word, bring 
 the opportunity of decision to every unsaved scholar 
 in your class. And to the Lord of the harvest shall 
 the glory be given. 
 
 Yours in the bond of Daily Prayer, 
 
 Frank L. Brown, 
 Superintendent- 
 
1 26 Plans for Sunday School Evangelism 
 
 Hedding Methodist Sunday School, 
 Elmira, New York. 
 
 Teacher's Pledge of Prayer and Personal Work 
 
 God helping me, I will earnestly pray each day, by 
 name, for the conversion of each member of my Sun- 
 day School class; and will endeavour to so illustrate 
 in my life the gospel of Christ which I teach, and 
 to so come in personal contact with my scholars out- 
 side the Sunday School, as to help answer my own 
 prayers, and secure the conversion of every member 
 of my class. 
 
 Dear Teachers in the Junior and Senior Grades : 
 In furthering the spiritual work of the church, 
 and in aiding to secure the conversion of every mem- 
 ber of our Sunday School, I desire you to see each 
 of your scholars, who is not already a member of 
 the church, within the next two weeks, and talk with 
 them concerning their personal relation to Christ, 
 and the duty of accepting and confessing Him as 
 their personal Saviour. 
 
 If they are not Christians, if possible, bring them 
 to a decision to give their lives to Christ, and to 
 publicly profess their purpose to love and serve Him, 
 
 If they are Christians, but never united with the 
 church, try and secure their consent to join the 
 church on probation, and to be baptized. If they have 
 not already received this sacrament. 
 
 If possible, each one should be seen privately, either 
 at your own home or at their home, rather than be- 
 fore other members of the class during the session 
 of the school. 
 
 If you are In doubt concerning any Individual case, 
 especially with the younger scholars, I would advise 
 conferring with the parents. 
 
 I desire to meet all teachers of the junior and sen- 
 ior grades on Monday evening next, January 4th, at 
 ihe church at 7: 30, for prayer and conference. On 
 the following Monday evening, January nth, we will 
 
Use of Letters and Cards 127 
 
 have our second meeting, to receive reports and to 
 have further prayer and conference together. At 
 our tliird meeting, Monday evening, January i8th, 
 please bring with you to the service all scholars who 
 have expressed a desire to lead a Christian life and 
 to unite with the church. 
 
 Please use the enclosed blank for report. 
 
 Let all be done as in God's sight, by men and 
 women who are intrusted by the church with the 
 training of immortal souls. Go in prayer and faith. 
 You will have the aid of the Holy Spirit and the 
 prayers of 
 
 Your pastor, 
 
 R T. Keeney. 
 
 BusHwicK Avenue-Central 
 Methodist Episcopal Sunday School 
 
 Brooklyn, N. Y. 
 Dear Teacher: 
 
 During the week following January 22nd I 
 shall send to all of the scholars in your class, who are 
 not on our church books as members or probationers, 
 a personal appeal to decide to live a Christian life. 
 With that appeal I will enclose a decision card which 
 I shall ask them to sign and hand or mail to me by 
 Sunday, February 5th, which we hope shall be a great 
 decision day in our Senior and Junior Departments. 
 
 May I ask that during these next few weeks you 
 will be much in prayer for your scholars, remember- 
 ing them daily by name, and as opportunity comes, 
 in the lesson and individually, bear home lovingly, 
 wisely, the claims of the Master for their love and 
 life and service, and their need of Him. 
 
 A few words of prayer with your class, as they 
 shall bow their heads before or after the lesson, may 
 be very helpful in assisting their decisions and bring- 
 ing home to their hearts the truth. 
 
1 28 Plans for Sunday School Evangelism 
 
 This is the chief end of our work. This may be 
 the crucial time for some souls in your class who have 
 been redeemed by the precious blood of Christ. Be 
 instant in prayer! Persuade by life and word! 
 Seek for a fresh baptism of the Holy Spirit upon 
 your own life. Keep close to the Master. God will, 
 I believe, wonderfully honour His Word in the sal- 
 vation of many souls, if we prove faithful to Him. 
 Cordially yours, 
 
 Frank L. Brown, 
 Superintendent. 
 
 BusHWiCK Avenue-Central 
 Methodist Episcopal Bible School 
 
 Brooklyn, N. Y. 
 Dear Friend: 
 
 Through this message I am seeking your 
 earnest cooperation with the pastor, myself and the 
 Bible School officers in two definite ways. They are : 
 
 First — Your personal effort with your scholars 
 and their parents in winning both to an acceptance of 
 Jesus Christ as Saviour and Lord, during the two 
 weeks of Evangelistic meetings at the Church which 
 begin Monday evening, January 29th. Prof. Isaac 
 Meredith will be in charge of the chorus. Will you 
 not plan through letter, or through invitation of 
 scholars to your home for a personal talk, or through 
 individual talks at the school, and through class 
 prayer during the lesson, to reach every scholar who 
 is not an announced Christian — and continue these 
 efforts, If needed, beyond the meetings until real 
 decisions have been made? 
 
 Second — Until Easter Day the school will be en- 
 gaged in an Attendance and Membership Campaign. 
 Each department will have a goal and credit will be 
 given each department for new members whether 
 brought for the Cradle Roll, Home Department, 
 
Use of Letters and Cards 129 
 
 Men's Department, etc. We desire in this way to 
 bring a larger number under the influence of the 
 Evangehstic outreach of the Church, and to be in 
 harmony with the Visitation, Extension and Evan- 
 gehstic movement which is now under way in 
 Greater New York. 
 
 This would seem to be God's time for a great for- 
 ward movement for the Kingdom here. Prayer, 
 faith and your individual effort, plus the inspiration 
 of your class to similar effort, are needed at this 
 time if the harvest is to be gathered. May I not 
 depend upon you and will you not begin your co- 
 operation TO-DAY? 
 
 Your friend, 
 
 Frank L. Brown, 
 Superintendent.. 
 
 BusHwiCK Avenue-Central 
 Methodist Episcopal Bible School 
 
 Brooklyn, N. Y. 
 Dear Fello w- worker : 
 
 Two things have been before us as goals for 
 1912-13 — " Bushwick for Christ " and Bushwick's 
 Dedication Week, January 26th to February 2d. 
 From the beginning of our Fall work the Holy Spirit 
 has been leading us to prayer and expectation for a 
 large ingathering of our School to Christ and the 
 Church, that the Dedication days may be made signif- 
 icant in a great spiritual harvest. 
 
 And now, the holidays past, we are facing three 
 weeks of special services every night excepting Sat- 
 urday, leading up to Dedication Week. What shall 
 they mean to you, to the undecided of your class, to 
 the unconverted parents of your scholars' homes? 
 The decision rests with you more than with pastor or 
 officers. I pray you will deeply realize that Christ is 
 depending upon you at this hour of great need. 
 
130 Plans for Sunday School Evangelism 
 
 May I urge upon you several things : 
 1st, That you pray daily by name for every un- 
 converted scholar in your class. 
 2d, That you gather with the Christian scholars 
 of your class for prayer for those undecided. 
 3d, That you write a letter at once to every non- 
 Qiristian member of the class urging im- 
 mediate decision, and where possible write 
 the parents asking for cooperation. 
 4th, That you make occasion for a personal heart- 
 to-heart talk with these and if possible per- 
 sonally pray with them as well as for them. 
 5th, That you secure the attendance of the scholars 
 and parents at the meetings, sitting with your 
 scholars at the services wherever possible. 
 We pledge you our earnest prayers as you give 
 yourself to this loving toil for Christ. " Every mem- 
 ber of my class for Christ " will realize our aim, 
 " Bushwick for Christ." And what a Dedication 
 Week this will mean for the glory of God as we look 
 out upon the years to come. 
 
 Yours for Christ, 
 
 Frank L. Brown, Supt., 
 Harry G. Simpson, Ass't Supt, 
 H. B. Munson, Pastor. 
 
 Greenway Sunday School, 
 Philadelphia 
 
 Philadelphia, Pa. 
 
 How do you arrange your household? Is it not 
 your effort to see that each expenditure, whether of 
 money or endeavour, is so made as to produce the 
 best results? Your house so kept that it may truly 
 be home to those connected with it, whether those at 
 home during the day or those away providing the 
 means to keep it? 
 
 How do you arrange your school-work? Do you 
 not strive to study your pupils; to see that they get 
 
Use of Letters and Cards 131 
 
 the best you can give — each for himself — so alike 
 and yet so absolutely different ? 
 
 How do you carry on your business ? Do you not 
 seek to use effectively all you have, time, energy, 
 money? Do you not endeavour to find what plans 
 will best further your work and make it tell ? Or, if 
 you work for another, do you not try to make each 
 stroke of hammer or pen, each effort of mind or 
 body, produce the best results for your employer? 
 
 And how do we approach that glorious work given 
 to us by God — all the more glorious because entirely 
 voluntary? Are we studying the individuals of our 
 classes as separate human entities, as spirits clothed 
 with human bodies, as creations of the Divine Mas- 
 ter? Are we doing this to help them, to give them 
 out of the unfailing store which is ours for the ask- 
 
 msr 
 
 We know the limitations of school, business or 
 home — too little capital or not as much ability or 
 opportunity as we would like — a little less education 
 or experience than we want to meet the emergencies 
 and trials of the schoolroom — a little less money than 
 we think we need to ease one's mind from the little 
 daily economies which are so necessary, yet so irk- 
 some. 
 
 For our work there are no limitations. We have 
 all the capital we need; all the ability and oppor- 
 tunities we require; all the education and experience 
 that is necessary ; all the means we want in the out- 
 flowing love of Jesus Christ in His strength. 
 
 Therefore the work of individual soul-winning is 
 the greatest work that God permits us to do. It 
 was Christ's own preferred method of work as it is 
 His preferred method for us to-day. For it is always 
 the most effective way of working. 
 
 It is the hardest work in the world to do, and it 
 always will be the hardest ; for " the Devil opposes it 
 most bitterly and always will as long as he is allowed 
 to oppose anything good. Therefore the worker who 
 
132 Plans for Sunday School Evangelism 
 
 seeks to win individuals to Christ may rest assured 
 that he has, by entering upon that work, served 
 notice upon the Devil for a lif e-and-death conflict." 
 
 But as hard work never yet put you to flight, may 
 our loving Lord add His blessing and strength to 
 your continued efforts to oppose the Devil in your 
 work of individual soul-winning. 
 
 That our loving Heavenly Father may more fully 
 prepare us for the work of next Sunday, as you know 
 we are going to meet immediately after the morning 
 service for Communion at His table, and at 2 : 30 we 
 will gather again in a service of special intercession 
 for additional strength for the afternoon. 
 Very affectionately. 
 
 Your Superintendents. 
 
 Jefferson Avenue Presbyterian Church 
 
 Detroit, Mich. 
 Dear " Fellow-Pastor " : 
 
 I wish I could have a little talk with each of 
 you Sunday School teachers about your class parishes. 
 I must make a letter do instead. 
 
 What I want to talk about is this : On the basis of 
 the reports you made out for me this year and last, 
 there are a hundred of our scholars from twelve to 
 seventeen years of age who are members of no 
 church. 
 
 In my pastoral calling I find former scholars who 
 left the school without becoming professing Chris- 
 tians. They have never become so since, and are 
 now entirely indifferent to Christ and the church, and 
 are deaf to any appeal I can make. The time for 
 decisive religious awakening went by with them un- 
 utilized, and now it seems to be too late. Statistics 
 show that about 120 out of every 140 Christians take 
 the decisive step between the ages of ten and seven- 
 teen. 
 
Use of Letters and Cards 133 
 
 Can we do anything to stop the drift of our one 
 hundred into indifference ? 
 
 I think we can. If each teacher will take the 
 names of the scholars outside of the church, and will 
 have, hi private, a full and frank talk with each 
 scholar between this and November 9th, a great deal 
 may be done to stop the drift. 
 
 Why set a date ? 
 
 First, because, if we do not, it is human nature to 
 keep putting off, and the thing is not done. Secondly, 
 throughout our great Presbyterian communion the 
 week November 2 to 9 is being set aside for such in- 
 dividual work. Finally, we want to stand with the 
 rest of the Sunday School world in observing No- 
 vember 9 as Decision Day. 
 
 With us this day will mean giving those to whom 
 you have talked or written (for a letter is sometimes 
 as good as a talk, but not often) an opportunity to 
 signify in some quiet manner the decision they have 
 made. 
 
 Of the one hundred many are already true Chris- 
 tians. A word of encouragement, and they may be 
 ready to confess Christ, or, at least, join a pastor's 
 class. 
 
 Many others are very careless. Some do not have 
 Christian home influences. Your appeal may stir 
 them deeply. 
 
 As I look over your class lists, I see the same diffi- 
 culties you see. It will be hard to speak to some. It 
 is hard for some of you to speak on so personal a 
 matter to any one. I think I know the excuses that 
 will come to your mind. I ought to, for I have made 
 them often enough to myself. 
 
 " My scholars will raise doubts I cannot answer." 
 Try to hold them to the main question, the character 
 and claims of Christ. 
 
 " I have already asked them to confess Christ and 
 join the Church, and nothing came of it." Try again. 
 The next time may win them. 
 
134 Plans for Sunday School Evangelism 
 
 " My scholars are so indifferent." Christ came to 
 call the indifferent. They most need Him. 
 
 " Others could do more with them than I." But 
 you are responsible for your influence. Still get the 
 help of others. A word to the parents may be wise. 
 Set other Christian scholars to work. Tell me where 
 I can help. 
 
 My hope is that a large number of our scholars will 
 be ready to go into pastor's classes for careful in- 
 struction. Those who are ready can then unite with 
 the church at the January communion. 
 
 Some will question whether those who take a stand 
 on this matter so young will hold out. The assured 
 facts of the case confirmed by such investigators as 
 Professor Coe or Professor Starbuck, and by multi- 
 tudes of Christian workers, show that they are more 
 likely to stand the test of time than those who give 
 themselves to God later in life. 
 
 Shut up in my room, how I have gone up and down 
 that schoolroom from class to class in thought and 
 prayer ! I have not omitted one teacher, new or old. 
 
 You will forgive this long letter, I could not but 
 write it. Faithfully yours, 
 
 Alfred H. Barr. 
 
 The report referred to in the letter v^as the 
 annual report of the teachers to the pastor. It 
 is a printed blank, giving in order : Age, if under 
 twenty; name of present scholars, grade, resi- 
 dence, and answer to No. 3, which is, " What 
 church do parents belong to?" An explana- 
 tory note calls for full baptismal name, the un- 
 derscoring of names of scholars who are mem- 
 bers of " our church," an answer as to whether 
 pupils have been visited lately, and whether 
 
Use of Letters and Cards 1 35 
 
 pupils visit teacher. Irregular scholars' names 
 are to be indicated, and those who left during 
 the year. 
 
 (b) Before Rally Day. 
 
 (From superintendent.) 
 
 BusHwiCK Avenue-Central 
 Methodist Episcopal Bible School 
 
 Brooklyn, N. Y. 
 Dear Friend: 
 
 Sunday, September 27th, is to be Bushwick's 
 great Mobilization Day. Each department will be a 
 ship in that squadron. The class crews are expected 
 to respond to the last person. We are in dead ear- 
 nest. We are to fight sin in the human heart, sin in 
 tlie community, sin in the world. Only the atoning 
 blood of Christ can do this, and His indwelling 
 power. 
 
 Will you not meet face to face the great Captain 
 of your salvation in the secret place of prayer until 
 His own longing for the salvation of souls is burned 
 into your soul, and His own likeness reflected in your 
 life? Only thus can we have power in our personal 
 work in the school. 
 
 On Mobilization Day we shall fling out four stand- 
 ards for the year : 
 
 Every scholar a Christian. 
 Every Christian a worker. 
 Every debt paid. 
 Every class a missionary force. 
 
 The following things I am depending on you to do : 
 First : Secure, by call or pen, the presence, on Sep- 
 tember 27th, of every member of your class for 
 Mobilization Day. 
 
136 Plans for Sunday School Evangelism 
 
 Second: Pastor Richards is to give a special mes- 
 sage to the officers and teachers — Mobilization Sun- 
 day at 10:30 A. M. Meet in Intermediate room at 
 10 : 20 and march to reserved seats in church. 
 
 Third: Try for a twenty-five per cent, increase in 
 your class membership this fall. 
 
 Fourth: Keep in mind the Annual Teachers' So- 
 cial, date to be announced later. 
 
 Fifth: Reserve September 21st and the third Mon- 
 day of each month thereafter for the Teachers' 
 Monthly Business Meeting. 
 
 Yours for a great Mobilization Day 
 and a year of Conquest for Christ, 
 
 Frank L. Brown, 
 Superintendent. 
 
 (c) A May effort. 
 
 (From superintendent.) 
 
 BusHwiCK Avenue-Central 
 Methodist Episcopal Sunday School 
 
 Brooklyn, N. Y. 
 Dear Fellow-worker : 
 
 On Sunday morning, May 6th, some of our 
 young people are to unite with the church on proba- 
 tion. Are there not some in your class who should 
 take this step? I frequently find a scholar waiting 
 for the loving, wise invitation of a teacher in order 
 to decide fully for Christ and to become a member of 
 His Church; I pray that you may be helped in this 
 important ministry to the lives of those committed 
 to your shepherding, that they may be brought within 
 the " fold " of the Good Shepherd. 
 
 Will you not before May 6th, through a personal 
 letter or talk, reach those in your class who you may 
 think should come to this decision and hand their 
 
Use of Letters and Cards 137 
 
 names to the pastor, Miss Clarkson or myself. In 
 this May-time of their Hves, it seems fitting that this 
 great choice should be consummated. 
 
 Cordially yours, 
 
 Frank L. Brown. 
 
 (d) A Children's Day plan. , 
 
 (From pastor and superintendent.)' 
 
 BusHwiCK Avenue-Central 
 Methodist Episcopal Bible School 
 
 Brooklyn, N. Y. 
 Dear Friend : . 
 
 Reports from about one-half the teachers of 
 the Intermediate and Senior Departments give the in- 
 teresting information that from fifty to sixty per cent, 
 of the classes reporting were members or proba- 
 tioners in the church. 
 
 We desire very much to bring to a Christian deci- 
 sion all who have not yet become Christians or openly 
 confessed Christ. We plan to send to all such, be- 
 tween now and Children's Day, a joint letter from 
 pastor and superintendent urging that they decide for 
 Christ and His Church. To enable us to do this in- 
 telligently we must have the names and addresses of 
 all not now identified with some church. We are 
 enclosing herewith a list of your class. Will you 
 please check up this list promptly, placing an " M " 
 opposite those who are members or probationers in 
 this or some other church and an " X " opposite those 
 who are not such members or probationers. If you 
 are doubtful put a question mark opposite. 
 
 You will, of course, appreciate the wisdom of 
 doing this tactfully and carefully. Will you return 
 these lists to your secretary as near to May ist as 
 possible? And will you not yourself both pray and 
 
138 Plans for Sunday School Evangelism 
 
 work, as God shall give you grace, for the decision of 
 
 every one of your class ? 
 
 Your friends, 
 
 George E. Bishop, Pastor, 
 Frank L. Brown, Supt. 
 
 {e) The teacher's goal. 
 (From pastor, superintendent and associate.) 
 
 BusHwiCK Avenue-Central 
 Methodist Episcopal Bible School 
 
 Brooklyn, N. Y. 
 Dear Friend : 
 
 May we welcome you most cordially to the 
 circle of Bushwick's officers and teachers, a circle of 
 friendship and prayer and unity in our purpose to 
 make Christ King in our own hearts and in the lives 
 of our scholars? 
 
 You have become a worker in a school which has 
 for its objective — to win to Christ — to train for 
 Christ. And we recognize that the greatest force in 
 achieving these results is the teacher's life, the 
 teacher's love, the teacher's vision of Christ, the 
 teacher's grip on the lesson truth. 
 
 I am sure, as you enter this fellowship of service, 
 you will realize that the department in which you 
 labour is only a part of the whole school, and that 
 you will pray daily not simply for your scholars and 
 their homes, but for the workers and members and 
 homes of the entire school. As a teacher you will 
 find that the letter to your scholar or a visit to the 
 home, your touch upon their social life will multiply 
 many fold your influence. The memory of these 
 things will be treasured long after you are gone. 
 
 " We seek the best " — the best Friend, the best 
 Book, the best Service. May the rich compensations 
 
Use of Letters and Cards 139 
 
 of the presence and friendship of the Master Teacher 
 be your reward and may you be with us for many 
 years of fruitful and happy toil. 
 Your friends, 
 
 George E. Bishop, Pastor, 
 Frank L. Brown, Supt., 
 H. G. Simpson, Asso. Supt 
 
 (/) After Decision Day. 
 
 (From the superintendents.) 
 
 Philadelphia, Pa. 
 Dear Teacher : 
 
 We have passed through a wonderful time. 
 May the God of peace guide us and help us guide 
 our dear ones into life and through life. 
 
 We have sown the seed. Now we must watch, 
 water and cultivate until we have strong Christian 
 fruit. 
 
 Every class should be a training school for service, 
 and every scholar should be hard at work in that 
 service between sessions. Do not forget to keep up 
 the prayer circle idea for individual and collective 
 strength. Do not forget the educational power of 
 the Scriptures, and urge the constant reading of the 
 Bible. 
 
 The need and duty of " follow up " work here are 
 as vital as in every other field of effort, and our fail- 
 ure to follow up may mean complete failure. 
 
 Those who have signed these cards, and others who 
 may have been impressed, may stumble and fall for 
 lack of the encouragement we may be able to give. 
 
 " Fear thou not ; for I am with thee : be not dis- 
 mayed; for I am thy God; I will strengthen thee; 
 yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my 
 righteousness." 
 
 Very affectionately. 
 
 Your Superintendents. 
 
140 Plans for Sunday School Evangelism 
 
 BuSHWiCK Avenue-Central 
 Methodist Episcopal Bible School 
 
 Brooklyn, N. Y. 
 Dear Friend: 
 
 In the decision cards which were used in the 
 school on November 21st, the scholars in your class, 
 named below, signified that they were Christians or 
 desired to be, or asked the prayers of Christians. 
 They do not appear to be connected with the church. 
 
 We desire, while their interest is aroused, to press 
 the matter of decision. May we rely upon you be- 
 tween now and Sunday or on Sunday afternoon to 
 reach with a personal word these, and any others who 
 may have been absent or undecided that day, and 
 enlist them for Christ and the Church? 
 
 On Sunday morning and evening opportunity will 
 be given to unite with the church on probation, and 
 you may be able to secure these for that step. Will 
 you kindly return this with the report of your effort, 
 with each one, adding to the list names of any others 
 in the class you may be able to interest who are not 
 now the followers of Christ? 
 
 I shall pray earnestly for you in this mission for 
 the Master. 
 
 Cordially yours, 
 
 Frank L. Brown, 
 Superintendent. 
 Name "Address Report 
 
 2. Letters to Scholars 
 (a) In welcoming the new scholar. 
 (From the superintendents.) 
 
 Bushwick Avenue-Central 
 Methodist Episcopal Bible School 
 
 Brooklyn, N. Y. 
 Dear Friend : 
 
 When we say to you welcome to the member- 
 
Use of Letters and Cards 141 
 
 ship and life of Bushwick School this now means that 
 you have well come to a school and to a department 
 of the school that stands for fellowship, for good 
 cheer, for the best ideals of life. 
 
 And the quicker you can " home " yourself as one 
 of the family circle the happier we shall be and the 
 better we shall like it. You have not come as a 
 sponge, we know, but to give out of the best there is 
 in you, of friendship, of song, of wholesome living, 
 of cooperation in class study and work. " We only 
 keep what we give away," and we invite you to enter 
 this growing circle of givers of heart and hand and 
 life. 
 
 As a school, and as officers, we count every scholar 
 as a friend, and want you to feel free to come to us 
 at any time for counsel, for help in any of your life 
 problems. That Christ shall be revealed to you here 
 as Saviour, as Friend, is our earnest prayer. And we 
 trust the memory of Bushwick School will be among 
 the brightest of the years. Again we say welcome. 
 And, if you will, bring a friend. 
 Yours cordially, 
 
 Frank L. Brown, Supt., 
 RoBT. Young, Supt. Senior Dept. 
 
 Before Decision Day. 
 
 (b) From superintendent. 
 
 Bushwick Avenue-Central 
 Methodist Episcopal Bible School 
 
 Brooklyn, N. Y. 
 Dear Friend: 
 
 I am deeply interested in your life. It has 
 great possibilities. You are at a point of life where 
 you are thinking and deciding. You wish to make of 
 your life one that shall be pure and strong and true, 
 one that shall respond to the best. May I as your 
 friend ask that in this time of the making of life's 
 
142 Plans for Sunday School Evangelism 
 
 ideals, when you are laying the foundation of your 
 character and destiny, you will make one choice, one 
 decision, that will mean the happiness, the success of 
 all the years that follow, and that you will make it 
 now? 
 
 Some of the best decisions of our lives are the 
 quiet ones. The one I am asking you to make is the 
 most important of any in your life. May I suggest 
 that in making it, if not already made, you will in the 
 quiet of your room kneel before God and honestly 
 ask Him, " Lord, what wilt thou have me to do ? "• 
 And His answer will come, I believe, in the words 
 of John, " Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh 
 away the sins of the world." And then the Master 
 can be heard saying, " Follow me." " Come and 
 see." 
 
 There are many questions that may come to your 
 life after you begin to follow Him, but there is one 
 safe way in which you can have them decided: 
 " What would Jesus do ? " 
 
 I am very anxious for your sake, and for the sake 
 of the Master who needs your life, and who tenderly 
 pleads with you, that before the new year has grown 
 older you should record your decision to be His, and 
 let me know it on the enclosed card. Will you 
 kindly, thoughtfully, after prayer, fill out the card 
 and hand or send it to me by Sunday, February 5th, 
 which we are all looking forward to as a great Deci- 
 sion Day ? I shall pray that your decision will mean 
 the acceptance, and not rejection, of Him who says, 
 " Behold, I stand at the door and knock." 
 
 I shall be very glad to have you write or talk to me 
 frankly at any time concerning your questions and 
 difficulties, for I want to help you if I can. Feel per- 
 fectly free to do this, for I shall appreciate your con- 
 fidence, and want you to count me as your friend. 
 Cordially yours, 
 
 Frank L. Brown, 
 Superlntendenti 
 
Use of Letters and Cards 1 43 
 
 (c) From pastor and superintendent. 
 
 Central United 
 Presbyterian Sabbath School 
 
 Omaha, Neb. 
 Dear Friend and Scholar : 
 
 The enclosed leaflet will tell you the purpose 
 of " Decision Day." The pledge card herewith ex- 
 plains itself. We need only to add for ourselves, and 
 in behalf of your teacher, who is also your dear 
 friend, that we all join in the hope and the prayer 
 that you will now take a stand for Jesus Christ, and 
 accept the salvation He has offered you. Pray over 
 it, talk it over with your parents, or your teacher, or 
 both. Then, if you see your way clear, sign this 
 card, and return to your teacher next Sabbath, 
 
 Our pastor will arrange for a class of those so ex- 
 pressing a desire to lead the Christian life, instructing 
 them in what it means to be a Christian, and the 
 duties and privileges of a church member, this class 
 to meet once a week until the next communion serv- 
 ice, when you will formally be received into the 
 church, if you still so desire. Thus you or your par- 
 ents need not fear that you are not well enough in- 
 formed before you unite with the church. 
 
 Should you prefer to unite wiih some other church 
 than ours, you are at liberty to do so. Our great de- 
 sire is that you become a Christian, and enrolled 
 somewhere as one of Christ's followers. 
 
 May God be with you, and the Holy Spirit guide 
 you. Your sincere friends, 
 
 John M. Ross, Pastor, 
 George G. Wallace, Supt. 
 
 (d) From the teacher. 
 
 26 Broadzvay, New York, Dec. 14, ipop. 
 Dear Mr. Blank : 
 
 Following our usual custom with reference to 
 new members of the Young Men's Bible Class, I am 
 
144 Plans for Sunday School Evangelism 
 
 venturing to inquire regarding your position in regard 
 to the Christian life and church affiliation. If you 
 are a member of some church it will be a help and an 
 encouragement to all of those engaged in the work 
 of the Young Men's Bible Class to know that you are 
 thus enrolled. 
 
 If, on the other hand, you have not yet taken any 
 definite Christian stand, perhaps there are some of us 
 in the class who can be of help to you in forming 
 your opinion as to what is the right course for you to 
 pursue. I am convinced from my own experience 
 that the greatest joy in life comes from Christian 
 service and association, and I earnestly covet this joy 
 for you. 
 
 I inclose herewith a blank slip upon which you can 
 indicate your position perhaps more easily than in any 
 other way. Will you not, whatever your position 
 may be, fill out the slip and send it to me by return 
 mail? Very truly, 
 
 John D. Rockefeller, Jr. 
 
 The questions on the blank provided are: 
 
 Are you a member of the church? If so, what 
 church? And where? Are you a Christian? If so, 
 are there doubts, difficulties or questions which stand 
 between you and the Church ? If neither of the fore- 
 going, are you interested in matters which make for a 
 Christian life? Or have you never given such mat- 
 ters much thought ? 
 
 A return envelope, addressed to Mr. Rocke- 
 feller at the Standard Oil Building, is enclosed. 
 
 Dear : 
 
 The writer of John's Gospel gives the follow- 
 ing reason for writing his story of the life of Jesus: 
 " That ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the 
 
Use of Letters and Cards 145 
 
 Son of God, and that believing ye might have Ufe 
 through His name." 
 
 This is the true aim of all Sunday School vv^ork, 
 and this is my object in teaching our class. I very 
 much wish that you would write me a letter this week, 
 and answer these three questions : 
 
 1. What is it to be a true disciple of Jesus Christ? 
 
 2. Are you one of His disciples or do you wish 
 with all your heart to be one ? 
 
 3. If you are not yet a Christian are you ready at 
 this time to become one ? 
 
 {e) From superintendent to young men.. 
 
 BusHwicK Avenue-Central 
 Methodist Episcopal Bible School 
 
 Brooklyn, N. Y. 
 Dear Friend: 
 
 Sunday evening, February 6th, will be Young 
 Men's night in the church. A number of our Senior 
 young men are coming into church membership that 
 evening, as members of the large 30th Anniversary 
 Class, which is extended to the first Sunday in Feb- 
 ruary. 
 
 I am writing to you as one deeply interested in 
 what your life shall be, to urge that you now line up 
 for Jesus Christ and the Church, and take your posi- 
 tion as a Christian young man. You may already 
 have decided this question in your heart, but have 
 hesitated about joining the church on some question 
 of practice in relation to the Methodist Church. May 
 I say to you for the pastor and myself, that we desire 
 you first to be sure that you have decided for Christ 
 as Saviour and Friend, and we are then ready to 
 leave with you the question of conduct on the basis 
 of your relationship to Christ. 
 
 H you are already in the church, we want you on 
 the evening of February 6th, to come to the front and 
 
146 Plans for Sunday School Evangelism 
 
 stand behind those who shall join, and meanwhile to 
 pray and work for your friends. 
 
 Inform the pastor, teacher or myself of your deci- 
 sion by next Sunday, if possible. I pray it may be 
 one of great consequence in your life. 
 Your friend, 
 
 Frank L. Brown. 
 
 '(/) Easter appeal to enlisted boys. 
 
 (From pastor and superintendents.) 
 
 BusHwicK Avenue-Central 
 Methodist Episcopal Bible School 
 
 Brooklyn, N. Y. 
 Dear Friend: 
 
 Whether in this country or in France on 
 Easter Day we want you to know that you will have 
 a special place in our heart and thought and prayers 
 on that day. 
 
 It may seem a bit strange not to be in the old 
 church on Easter Day, but you are in an infinitely 
 better place if in the line of duty and helping by your 
 service to bring about a world's Easter Day that 
 shall mean something to humanity everywhere. 
 
 " Roll ye away the stone from the sepulcher " was 
 said on that first Easter. And on this last Easter of 
 the world, America is saying to you, " Roll ye away 
 the stone from the sepulcher of the world's oppressed 
 nations, against whose door militarism and autocracy 
 have rolled a great stone." You will bid the peoples 
 go forth to a new and glad freedom never again to 
 be enslaved. And in your noble mission Christ 
 stands by you and with you and we are with you con- 
 stantly. May the Easter joy be in your lives. " The 
 Lord is risen! He is risen indeed." 
 
 Our enlisted men number 250. Some 2,000 were 
 present at our patriotic service when the tablets were 
 
Use of Letters and Cards 147 
 
 unveiled and Colonel Sidney Grant and Lieutenant- 
 Colonel Pendry of the 59th Coast Artillery spoke. 
 
 On Easter morning we shall take a large number 
 into the church. Shall we enlist you as one of our 
 absent members that day if you have not heretofore 
 made your public decision for Christ? This would 
 be the finest thing you could do for Easter Day, 
 Drop us a line at once saying " Yes." 
 Your friends, 
 
 George E. Bishop, Pastor, 
 Frank L. Brown, Supt, 
 Harry G. Simpson, Asso, Supt. 
 
 (g) To members of *' Triangles." 
 (From superintendent.) 
 
 BusHWiCK Avenue-Central 
 Methodist Episcopal Bible School 
 
 Brooklyn, N. Y. 
 Dear Friend: 
 
 I am writing to you from my heart, as one 
 deeply interested in you personally, and I am writing 
 to you as a member of the Triangle Organization, 
 which occupies such a strategic position as the rep- 
 resentative Young Men's Organization in our Sunday 
 School and church life. 
 
 I am very anxious that every member of this im- 
 portant organization should line up for Christ and the 
 Church for his own sake, and for the sake of the in- 
 fluence of the step upon others who are coming on, 
 and who take example from you. It may be you 
 have within your own heart already decided for 
 Christ, but have not decided for the Church. Will 
 you not have the courage to take this step and come 
 in with a number of others on the first Sunday even- 
 ing of February as one of the large 30th Anniversary 
 Class. This will be Young Men's evening. 
 
148 Plans for Sunday School Evangelism 
 
 Let me say that the pastor and myself feel that the 
 first thing to decide is your personal relationship to 
 Christ. If that is decided, we are ready to trust to 
 you matters of conduct, on the basis of this relation- 
 ship to Christ. No life is strong without this prin- 
 ciple, and we believe you will guide the details of 
 your life on this principle. 
 
 If already a member of the church, will you not 
 pray and work for the other members? We want 
 all young men who are church members to come to 
 the front and stand behind those who are joining. 
 
 Inform the pastor, teacher or myself as to your 
 decision for February 6th, by next Sunday, if pos- 
 sible, and I shall pray that you may choose aright. 
 Your friend, 
 
 Frank L. Brown, 
 
 Superintendent.^ 
 
 (h) Children's Day appeal. 
 
 (From pastor and superintendents.) 
 
 BuSHWiCK Avenue-Central 
 Methodist Episcopal Bible School 
 
 Brooklyn, N. Y. 
 Dear Friend: 
 
 The season's work in the Bible School is fast 
 drawing to a close. How fitting it is that we should 
 observe the great celebration called Children's Day. 
 And what an opportunity this affords for one to make 
 the public confession of Christ. This year Chil- 
 dren's Day will be on June i6th. 
 
 What has been the aim of our teaching and study 
 during the year ? Surely to bring the Lord Jesus, in 
 all His life power, before our members and to bring 
 all, who have not yet decided, to a clear and definite 
 decision for Him. And this brings us to another 
 
Use of Letters and Cards 149 
 
 important question, " What is my relation to Christ 
 to-day?" 
 
 After a year of study we shall solemnly meditate 
 and pray over this question. So, as your pastor and 
 superintendents, we now appeal to you to consider 
 the claim of Christ in your life and to make the full 
 surrender of yourself to Him. You must feel that 
 our appeal is for the most important decision in life. 
 And after we have surrendered ourselves to Him, 
 we should unite with His Church. Opportunity for 
 this public confession will be given on Children's 
 Sunday morning. 
 
 How solemn are our obligations and how wonder- 
 ful are our privileges in Christ. We are, in Christian 
 affection, 
 
 your Pastor and Superintendents, 
 George E. Bishop, 
 Frank L. Brown, 
 Harry G. Simpson. 
 
 (i) From a judge to the young men. 
 A Message from Judge Lewis L. Fawcett 
 
 {A former Scholar and Teacher of the School) 
 
 To the Young Men of the Bushwick Avenue-Central 
 Methodist Episcopal Sunday School: 
 
 To the thinking man there can be only one decision 
 — and that for God. The Christian life is the only 
 one worth while. It is the only one that counts. It 
 carries with it from its very inception success and 
 life's best. It enables one to live effectively and 
 grandly. It affords the only genuine happiness, 
 peace of soul and contentment of mind. Your serv- 
 ice will bring to each young man, who has not already 
 
150 Plans for Sunday School Evangelism 
 
 declared for Christ, an opportunity which he should 
 not let pass like a sunbeam. 
 
 On the decision of Christian faith depends the suc- 
 cess and completeness of life here and the blessedness 
 of eternal life hereafter. May each young man rec- 
 ognize the heavenly privilege that "Now is the ac- 
 cepted time and the day of salvation" and accept 
 Christ as he enters upon the threshold of life. It 
 will be his best step in life. 
 
 (/) After Decision Day letter. 
 
 (From the superintendents.) 
 
 Philadelphia, Pa. 
 Dear Friend: 
 
 You have signed a declaration of independ- 
 ence. God will help you carry out this independence, 
 for He says (Psalm 32:8), "I will instruct thee 
 and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go : I will 
 guide thee with mine eye." 
 
 Do not worry for your life ; get all the encourage- 
 men out of it you can, for Saint Paul says, " Christ 
 Jesus came into the v/orld to save sinners ; of whom 
 I am chief." As he leaned on the Saviour and lived 
 a glorious life, so can we. 
 
 If you are troubled about anything, go to your 
 teacher or superintendent, and all sympathy will be 
 yours. Now that Jesus has found you, tell others the 
 story. 
 
 May you — as Jesus did when a boy, increase in 
 wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and 
 man. Very lovingly yours, 
 
 Your Superintendents, 
 
 Edw. R. Longstreth, 
 Robert P. Field. 
 
Use of Letters and Cards 151 
 
 3. To Parents of Scholars 
 (a) Palm Sunday letter. 
 
 (From the superintendent.) 
 
 BusHWiCK Avenue-Central 
 Methodist Episcopal Bible School 
 
 " No life is a failure zvhich is lived 
 for God, and all lives are failures 
 which are lived for any other end." 
 
 Brooklyn, N. Y. 
 To the Parents of Members of Our Sunday 
 School : 
 
 Dear Friend — The pastor, officers and teachers of 
 the Sunday School desire your cooperation in making 
 Palm Sunday, March 31st, an Acknowledgment Day 
 for those who desire to follow Jesus Christ their 
 Saviour and will make Him the King of their lives. 
 We have given each member of the school, for signa- 
 ture, a card like one of the enclosed to be used, if a 
 church member, in making a fuller consecration than 
 ever before to His service ; or as a first acknowledg- 
 ment of Christ's Kingship over their lives to those 
 who have not before confessed Him. Will you not 
 advise with your child or children about this impor- 
 tant step? And if you have not yourself taken this 
 step, will you not sign the card for yourself as the 
 beginning of a new life with and for Christ, dating 
 from this Palm Sunday ? 
 
 On Easter Day, morning and evening, many 
 scholars and friends will join the church. We invite 
 you earnestly to take this step, if not already taken, 
 as an acknowledgment of your purpose to love and 
 serve your King. What more important step could 
 be taken for yourself or your child ? 
 Yours cordially, 
 
 Frank L. Brown, 
 
 Superintendent, 
 
152 Plans for Sunday School Evangelism 
 
 4. Pledge Forms 
 ( (j: ) Teacher^ s daily prayer remembrance of scholars. 
 
 H)unt)as Centre /iDetboDist SunDag 
 Scbool 
 
 " The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man 
 availeth much,"— James f:i6. 
 
 It is desirable that each member of your class should be re- 
 membered by you in prayer at least once a week, and for the sake of 
 convenience and the hope that it may serve as a constant reminder, 
 this card is presented with the kind wishes of the Superintendent. 
 
 Write the name of your scholars in the blank spaces below. If 
 you have fewer names than spaces, repeat, or add the names of Pastor, 
 Superintendent or other members of the school. If more names than 
 spaces, write two or more names in each space. 
 
 « 2 
 
 a) u 
 
 S'2 
 
 o rt 
 o o 
 
 CL rt 
 
 Sunday Night 
 
 Monday Morning 
 
 Monday Night 
 
 Tuesday Morning 
 
 Tuesday Night 
 
 Wednesday Morning 
 
 Wednesday Night 
 
 ....Thursday Morning 
 
 Thursday Night 
 
 Friday Morning 
 
 Friday Night 
 
 Saturday Morning 
 
 Saturday Night 
 
 Sunday Morning 
 
 And this is the confidence we have in Him, that if 
 we ask anything according to His will. He heareth 
 us. — ; John j .- 14. 
 
 And all things whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, 
 believing, ye shall receive. — Mali. 21 .-22. 
 
 "■ a o 
 ^ >3 
 ^ ^-d 
 
 I "^ 3 
 
 ^-o 
 
 .. r^ O 
 
 ." O 3' 
 
 Sin ~- 
 ^° f 
 
 pl 
 
 ^ ui :^ 
 
 !? I " 
 
 0-0 •. 
 
 aOs 
 
 •^ f 
 
 ^ o 
 
 ■■ o 
 
 _ o 
 
 J. 5 
 <1 
 "• o 
 
 ^5- 
 
 
Use of Letters and Cards 153 
 
 ( ^ ) Personal Worker* s Pledge, 
 
 No. 29. 
 
 A PLEDGE TO PERSONAL WORK 
 
 I , do hereby promise that I will select 
 
 for my personal care one person who is not a professing Chris- 
 tian ; that once each day I will pray for my friend's salvation ; 
 that I will try to live in such a way as to set an example of 
 proper Christian living ; that I will endeavour to bring my 
 friend to the services of the Church, that if he or she be absent 
 I will call attention to the absence ; that I will seek an oppor- 
 tunity to let my friend know that I am concerned about his 01* 
 her salvation ; and that my efforts for my friend shall continue 
 for six months if necessary. 
 
 PERSONAL WORKER'S VOW 
 
 In harmony with thousands who have made a 
 similar pledge, I covenant to make a list of the un- 
 converted members of my Sunday School Class, to 
 whom I will speak and for whose conversion I will 
 work and pray. 
 
 Name 
 
 DaU Address 
 
 School 
 
 ( ^ ) Report blank teacher to pastor. 
 
 Hedding- Methodist Sunday School, 
 Elmira, New York 
 Report Blank for Pastor, Junior and Senior Grades 
 Teacher Date , 190 
 
 Names of 
 Scholars not 
 Members of 
 
 the Church 
 
 Street 
 
 and 
 
 Number 
 
 * Christians 
 
 » Desire to 
 
 Become 
 Christians 
 
 »Will 
 Unite on 
 Probation 
 
 » Previously 
 Baptized 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 * Please answer by " Yes " or " No." If more extended answers 
 are required for any special cases, write them on the back of this sheet. 
 
J 54 Plans for Sunday School Evangelism 
 
 ( </ ) Decision pledge forms. 
 
 ** The Master is come, and calleth for thee.*' 
 
 I am already a professing Christian, but I want to be a 
 more loyal and earnest one, and on this Decision Day I do 
 reconsecrate myself to my Master, Jesus Christ, and prom- 
 ise Him that I will try to be more faithful to every duty of 
 my Chiistian life. 
 
 ** Choose yo« this day, whom ye will serve*** 
 
 I am not yet a professing Christian, but I know I ought 
 to be one, and I desire to be one, and on this Decision Day 
 I do accept Jesus Christ as my personal Saviour, and prom- 
 ise Him that I will try to live a faithful Christian life. 
 
 AddresS" 
 
 Decision Day 
 
 I HAVE joined with others to-day in expressing my need 
 of living closer to my Master, of putting out of my life 
 the things that are hindering my best service for Him, of 
 opening my heart more fully to the incoming of His Holy 
 Spirit, and of yielding my life more completely to His guid- 
 ance and service. I prayerfully ask His help in these things. 
 
 Decision Day 
 
 I KNOW that Jesus Christ died for my sins, and has asked 
 me to accept Him as my loving Saviour. I know that 
 He wishes all who love and accept Him to do this publicly 
 before others, and so, looking to Him for strength, I have 
 joined with others to-day in deciding to accept Him as my 
 Saviour. 
 
Use of Letters and Cards 155 
 
 CONSECRATION 
 
 Belxeving that Jesus Christ died to redeem me from 
 sin, and that He lives to-day as my Saviour, I con- 
 secrate myself anew to His service, and promise to 
 serve Him faithfiilly throughout my whole life. 
 
 Name 
 
 Residence 
 
 Teacher 
 
 Palm Sunday, 1910 
 
 KING JESUS WANTS YOU AS 
 HIS SUBJECT 
 
 I this day acknowledge Jesus Christ, who died 
 to redeem me from sin, as my Saviour, and I prom- 
 ise that, with His help, I will serve Him throughout 
 my whole life as a loyal subject should serve a King. 
 
 Name 
 
 Residence 
 
 Teacher 
 
 Palm Sunday, 1910 
 
156 Plans for Sunday School Evangelism 
 
 MY CONFESSION 
 
 Believing that Jesus Christ, the Son of God died to 
 redeem me from sin and that He lives to-day as my 
 Saviour and loves me, I give myself to Him and do 
 this day decide to show my love to Him by hence- 
 forth following Him, earnestly endeavouring with 
 His help to lead a faithful Christian Life. 
 
 Name 
 
 Residence , 
 
 Teacher Date 
 
 Why should I be a Christian ? Because Christ " loved 
 me and gave Himself up for me." — Gal. 2 : 20. 
 
 Why should I be a Christian now ? Because ** Now 
 is the accepted time ; behold now is the day of salva- 
 tion." — 2 Cor. 6 : 2. 
 
 How can I become a Christian ? ** Believe on the 
 Lord Jesus Christ and thou shaltbe saved." — Acts 16 :jl. 
 
 1 desire to be a Christian and want whatever help may 
 be given me. 
 
 Name 
 
 Address 
 
Use of Letters and Cards 
 
 157 
 
 THIS DO IN REMEMBRANCE OF ME 
 
 Jesus calls us o'er the tumult 
 Of our life's wild restless sea ; 
 Day by day His sweet voice calletb. 
 Saying, " Christian, follow me." 
 
 I desire to acknowledge Christ as my Saviour, 
 Lord and King, and to enter the fellowship of the 
 Bushwick Avenue-Central M. E. Church, on Easter 
 Day, March 27, 19 10. 
 
 Nam& 
 
 Address, 
 
 Bushwick Avenue-Central Methodist 
 Episcopal Bible School 
 Dear Friend : 
 
 We are deeply interested in your life success. We feel 
 that this success and your eternal happiness depend upon your 
 decision to follow Christ. Destiny may pivot upon the decision 
 of TO* DAY. Will you thoughtfully read the headings of the 
 columns below and place a mark X in those which express your 
 standing or decision and return this to your teacher who will 
 hand to me, and oblige, 
 
 Affectionately, 
 
 Supt. 
 
 Please write jour 
 name here : 
 
 I 
 
 I am a 
 Chris- 
 tian 
 
 2 
 
 I am not 
 a Chris- 
 tian 
 
 3 
 
 I want 
 tt be a 
 Chris- 
 tian 
 
 4 
 I asi the 
 
 prayers 
 
 Chris- 
 tians 
 
 s 
 
 I promise to 
 
 pray for mj. 
 
 self that I 
 
 may be a 
 
 Christian 
 
 Teacher^s name : 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 If you have not already decided that you will be a Christian and are 
 willing to decide NOW, please sign your name here. 
 
158 Plans for Sunday School Evangelism 
 
 Tfwsting in Christ as my Saviour, I cove- 
 nant with Him to be His true disciple. 
 
 Name 
 
 Address 
 
 REPENT 
 
 God now 
 repent. 
 
 i-< 
 
 3 
 o 
 
 ^ 0,1 
 
 §^» 
 
 o .fl 
 
 > 10 
 
 O-g 
 o 
 
 commandeth all men everywhere to 
 Acts 17 : 30. 
 
 CQ 
 
 I desire to accept 
 Jesus Christ as my 
 Lord and Saviour. 
 
 Name : 
 
 Date: 
 
 3 b" 
 
 ^ 3 <: 
 
 C* ft O 
 CT 3 0) 
 
 2-0 
 
 
 
 
 w 
 
 (0 
 
 w 2, 
 
 BELIEVE 
 
 This is the work of God 
 Him whom He hath sent, 
 
 that ye believe on 
 John 6 : 29. 
 
Use of Letters and Cards 
 
 159 
 
 IP A CHRISTIAN 
 
 Will you decide to live in closer touch with j . 
 Christ ? J 
 
 Will you remember in your prayers the "> . 
 Pastor, Officers, Teachers and Scholars ? / 
 
 Name 
 
 COMRADES OP THE CROSS 
 
 Comrades' Pledge— Luke 9 : 33. 
 
 Receiving Christ as my personal Saviour I covenant with 
 Him to be His obedient disciple. 
 
 Name of Comrade 
 
 Address 
 
 Are You a Church Member? 
 
 Date 
 
 Put thii card in your Bible for future reference. 
 
 
 
 E 
 
 u 
 
 g 
 
 •a 
 1 
 
 
 
 
 DECISION CARD 
 
 T 
 1- 
 
 
 Having an earnest desire to be saved 
 from my sins, I do now receive Jesus 
 Christ to be my Lord and Saviour, 
 and I will endeavour by His help 
 henceforth to live a Christian life. 
 
 RETAIN THIS 
 
 u 
 
 
 
 
 _J 
 
l6o Plans for Sunday School Evangelism 
 
 FIRST CONG-REGATIONAL. OHUROH 
 Sunday School 
 
 DECISION DAY 
 
 I accept Jesus Christ as my Saviour: 
 
 I desire to be known as one of His followers; 
 
 I will try to live a Christian life. 
 
 Name 
 
 Address. 
 
 Baptist Sunday Sohool, Yarmouth, Maine 
 
 MY DECISION 
 
 Freely acknowledging my sin, and believing that 
 
 there is no other Saviour 
 
 I Accept Jesus Christ Nov^ 
 This means that I intend, with His help, to confess 
 
 Him fully, and obey all His commands. 
 
 Name. 
 
 Baptist Sunday School, Varmouth-ville, Maine. 
 
 MY DECISION 
 
 Believing that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is the 
 Saviour of the World, and that no other name is 
 given under heaven among men by which I may be 
 saved, and further 
 
 Realizing that I am a sinner and cannot save myself, 
 I do now decide to accept Jesus Christ as my Sa* 
 viour, to begin a Christian life and to unite with the 
 Church of God. 
 
 Name 
 
 Address 
 
 Teacher 
 
 '■Him that Cometh to Me J will in no wise cast out 
 
Use of Letters and Cards 161 
 
 KIND FRIEND: 
 
 We believe men cannot make the best possible of themselves 
 apart from the religion of Christ. Time is short. We stand in the 
 presence of eternity. This is an invitation to identify yourself more 
 closely with Christ, your Redeemer. In the treatment of this card you 
 may determine your eternal destiny. It invites you to sign the follow- 
 ing resolutions : 
 
 I. I will search the Scriptures. 
 
 3. I will pray for myself and not be ashamed of religion. 
 
 3. I will regularly attend divine worship. 
 
 Name 
 
 Residence., 
 
 N. B. — In case you cannot agree to all of the above resolutions, 
 scratch those out you do not wish to adopt. 
 
 FREE BAPTIST BIBLE SOHOOI 
 
 ACKNOWLEDGMENT CARD 
 
 "TTitst that nth mt tarly ihall find m#." — Prov. 8 117. 
 
 I do acknowledge Jesus Christ as my Saviour. It is my honest 
 purpose to serve Him all my life. 
 
 Scholar's Name 
 
 Teacher's Name 
 
 Date 
 
 Frank Whitall Smith, a son of Hannah Whitall Smith, the well-known 
 author, died while a student at Princeton. After his death, a card was 
 found among his papers, upon which was written the following 
 
 COVENANT 
 
 I take God to be my Father. 
 
 I take Jesus Christ to be my Saviour. 
 
 I take the Holy Spirit to be my Guide. 
 
 I take the Bible to be the rule of my life. 
 
 I take Christian people to be my associates. 
 
 I take Christian work to be my duty. 
 
 I likewise dedicate myself to the Lord, and this I do freely, deliberately, 
 sincerely and forever. 
 
 Name 
 
 Address 
 
 Church Preference 
 
 Are you a Church member here? Elsewhere ? 
 
 This card will be returned to you after it is recorded. 
 
i62 Plans for Sunday School Evangelism 
 
 I Decide That I Will Henceforth Lead a 
 Christian Life 
 
 "For the Lord God will help me." — Isaiah JO : 7. 
 
 Name 
 
 Street 
 
 Church or Pastor Preferred 
 
 Special Remarks 
 
 Usher's Name 
 
 >< 
 
 c 
 
 8 
 
 4-1 
 
 o 
 o 
 
 o 
 CO 
 
 flj '^ 
 
 
 
 ^ 
 
 
 •^ c •£ 
 
 - g >> 
 
 ~ « e 
 
 o t; 
 
 " r- .. 
 
 K 
 ^ c 
 
 _>> ^ « 
 5 2 •- 
 
 •S £ 
 
 rt "§ g 
 
 a e Si 
 
 if-i 
 
 2; 
 
 o . 
 
 CO •.• 
 
 o > 
 
 > 
 
 <J in 
 
 2 ^^ 
 
 E " 
 
 I want to be 
 
 a better 
 
 Christian 
 
 and more 
 
 useful. 
 
 
 I am not 
 
 now ready 
 
 to decide 
 
 the 
 matter. 
 
 
 I am not 
 
 a Chris- 
 
 tian but 
 
 wish to be. 
 
 
 I am a 
 Christian 
 but not a 
 
 Church 
 member. 
 
 
 
 
 -2 
 
 « 
 
 
 
 Is 
 
 
 
Use of Letters and Cards 163 
 
 Decision Covenant 
 
 I do acknowledge Jesus Christ as my Saviour. It is 
 my honest purpose to serve Him all my life. 
 
 Scholar's Name 
 
 Address 
 
 Teacher's Name 
 
 Decision Covenant 
 
 I earnestly desire to live a Christian life, I do now ac- 
 cept Jesus Christ as my Saviour and Lord. I will trust 
 Him and try to live for Him every day. 
 
 Scholar's Name 
 
 Address , 
 
 (<?) Church membership. 
 
 PETITION FOR MEMBERSHIP Ij 
 
 IN THE CHURCH S \ 
 
 ^ 3 
 
 OF 
 
 To the Pastor and Officers : 
 
 Believing that the Big Word j» 3 
 
 "WHOSOEVER" 
 
 in John j : i6 is big enough to Include Me, I desire to confess Christ as ■< 3. 
 my personal Saviour, and to try, by His Grace and Help, to live a o^ "» 
 Christian life. I therefore here and now request membership in your ^ 
 Church. 3-2. 
 
 By 5| 
 
 Profession of Faith or by Letter. ^ 3 
 
 t^ant' |,j- 
 
 Datt.„, igt Street Address 3o 
 
164 Plani for Sunday School Evangelism 
 (/) Christian census form. 
 
 Name • 
 
 Street Address 
 
 Date Are you a Christian? 
 
 How long have you been a Christian ? - 
 
 (Years) 
 
 Are you a Church Member ? 
 
 Of what Church are you a Member? 
 
 If not a Christian, do you decide to become one now ? 
 
 With whom would you like to talk about this very important 
 
 decision ? 
 
 " For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord 
 shall be saved." — Rom. 10 : i }. 
 
 ( ^ ) Decision and service. 
 
 What Am I Willing to Do to Make Myself 
 and the World Better ? 
 
 Teaching Service. 
 
 Larger Missionary Giving. 
 
 Decision to be a Christian. 
 
 Decision to join the Church. 
 
 One new member for school by November ist. 
 
 One daily Kindly deed for others. 
 
 Some daily self-denial for Christ. 
 
 Daily prayw for the Kingdom. 
 
 Some word spoken to an unconverted person. 
 
 Attendance at the League or Church prayer service. 
 
 Daily reading of the Bible. 
 
 Put an X opposite as many of these as possible, making 
 duplicate card for your keeping. 
 
XI 
 
 BEFORE DECISION DAY 
 
 THE success of Decision Day will de- 
 pend upon adequate preparation for it. 
 That preparation has to do with the 
 parents, the teacher and the school. In pre- 
 vious chapters the work of preparation has been 
 emphasized from the standpoint of the pastor, 
 superintendent, teacher, the home and com- 
 munity. 
 
 The real preparation for an effective Decision 
 Day goes back further than the week or month 
 immediately preceding the day. It is found in 
 the school spirit, atmosphere and evident pur- 
 pose that characterizes the whole swing of the 
 school. That sort of school will break through 
 at unexpected times into Decision Days of the 
 best character. 
 
 We shall here sum up the general preparation 
 for the day and will present experiences of indi- 
 vidual schools in getting ready for the day. 
 
 I. General Plans 
 (a) One month plan. 
 
 The Illinois Sunday School Association out- 
 lined a plan of four weeks of preparation. 
 
 165 
 
i66 Plans for Sunday School Evangelism 
 
 (1) Begin a full month before the date set 
 for Decision Day with a meeting of officers and 
 teachers for prayer, immediately before or after 
 school. Time, fifteen minutes; superintendent 
 announces the date to be observed as Decision 
 Day; read, or better still, distribute slips with 
 suggestions for prayer and work, and urge all 
 to unite heartily in carrying out the proposed 
 plan. Spend remaining ten minutes in brief 
 prayers for God's guidance in every detail, and 
 for His blessing upon the efiforts to be put forth. 
 
 (2) Teachers pray every day for each 
 scholar by name; also pray for every member 
 of their home circle, especially for the fathers 
 and mothers ; also pray for God's blessing upon 
 the entire school and community, and upon this 
 united effort to win the scholars for Christ. 
 Pastor and Sunday School officers pray for each 
 other by name, and for the other objects men- 
 tioned above. 
 
 (3) Each week the school and the work of 
 decision should be made the object of prayer at 
 the mid-week prayer service, and all Christians 
 should be asked to remember daily in their per- 
 sonal and family prayers this effort to bring 
 God's blessing to the hearts of the children and 
 the homes of the community. 
 
 (4) Let the pastor preach a series of ser- 
 mons on three Sabbaths, including Decision 
 Day. First, on the Sunday School, its oppor- 
 
Before Decision Day 167 
 
 tunities and possibilities ; to arouse and help the 
 teachers and to enlist the cooperation of all 
 church members. Second, on the home; to 
 awaken careless parents, encourage faithful 
 ones, and to show how the Sunday School and 
 the home can work together for the children's 
 highest good. Third, on God's love for the 
 children, His unwillingness that " one of these 
 little ones should perish," and our duty to bring 
 them to Christ, the children's Friend. 
 
 (5) Observe each Lord's Day the prayer 
 and conference plan for teachers suggested 
 above. Bring into this prayer circle some spe- 
 cial cases of scholars or homes to give concrete- 
 ness to the prayers. 
 
 (6) Three weeks before Decision Day let 
 each teacher write a personal letter to each 
 scholar, telling of Decision Day and expressing 
 a desire that every member of the class shall 
 accept Christ at once and openly confess Him 
 on that day, and if possible invite all to a class 
 prayer-meeting. 
 
 (7) Two weeks before Decision Day write 
 a personal letter to the mothers of your scholars 
 to enlist their sympathy and, if possible, their 
 cooperation, in your efforts to lead your schol- 
 ars to Christ. Send these letters home by the 
 scholars or mail them. 
 
 (8) Visit the home, invite the parents to 
 come to church on the Sabbath the pastor 
 
1 68 Plans for Sunday School Evangelism 
 
 preaches on the home. Seek to secure the 
 mother's sympathy and help make her feel that 
 she and you are workers together with each 
 other and with God for the child's highest good. 
 Pray much before you make this visit. 
 
 (b) One week plan. 
 
 The same association suggests the following 
 for a one week's preparation for Decision Day : 
 
 First consult the pastor, and secure coopera- 
 tion of the entire church. If he shall desire to 
 hold special meetings for that week have the 
 Sunday School officers and teachers heartily 
 support the plan. In any case ask the pastor to 
 preach the Sunday morning preceding Decision 
 Day to church members and parents on God's 
 love for the children and Christ the children's 
 Friend; also to devote the mid-week prayer 
 service to prayer for Sunday School teachers 
 and their work. 
 
 Whatever else is attempted, carry out the 
 following suggestions in every school: (1) Let 
 the superintendent call a meeting of all officers 
 and teachers for that Sabbath, unfold to them 
 his plans, secure their cooperation, and give 
 them some leaflet bearing upon Decision Day. 
 (2) Agree upon a definite hour of each day dur- 
 ing which every officer and teacher shall pray 
 for ten minutes for God's blessing upon the en- 
 tire school. (3) Urge your teachers to pray 
 
Before Decision Day 169 
 
 for each other and for the officers ; and the offi- 
 cers to pray for each other and the teachers. 
 (4) Appoint a twenty-minute prayer-meeting 
 for Decision Day Sabbath, to immediately pre- 
 cede the school hour (or if school be held at 
 noon, immediately preceding the morning 
 church service), and request all to be present 
 on time. (5) Ask each teacher during the 
 week to visit, if possible, or write a personal 
 note to, absent scholars requesting their attend- 
 ance at Sunday School the following Sabbath. 
 
 (c) Some other plans. 
 
 At the North Avenue Methodist Episcopal 
 Church of Allegheny, Pa., a variety of plans 
 have been attempted. 
 
 One year Decision Day was held at the con- 
 clusion of a two weeks' service by the pastor. 
 The superintendent had urged every teacher to 
 see his scholars individually during those two 
 weeks and this was done. During the two weeks 
 there had been four special prayer services of 
 teachers led by the superintendent, two during 
 the week and two following the Sunday School 
 services. The pastor led the decision service. 
 Seventy names were given in as those who de- 
 sired to be Christians. Most of these joined 
 the church. A significant thing was that the 
 attendance on Decision Day was 877 and on the 
 previous Sunday 827. 
 
170 Plans for Sunday School Evangelism 
 
 Another year a similar plan was followed, the 
 adult teachers writing letters to their members 
 in the large classes where it was difficult to get 
 in the calls. The Sunday before Decision Day 
 pledge cards were distributed which the schol- 
 ars were asked to take home and sign after 
 thought and prayer. At the bottom of the card 
 was a place to indicate if they desired to join the 
 church, the parents' consent being necessary 
 where the children were in the elementary 
 grades. On Decision Day the school came to- 
 gether for a short session, the departments be- 
 low the Senior were gathered together for a 
 talk by the pastor while the seniors held a sepa- 
 rate service led by one of the superintendents. 
 The results were that seventy-five of the schol- 
 ars gave themselves to Christ and joined the 
 church. In one class of young ladies every one 
 who was not a Christian arose when the invita- 
 tion was given and went to the altar. Many 
 of the young men who were Christians agreed 
 to pray for those who were not. 
 
 Another year immediately after Rally Day 
 the superintendent began to call the attention 
 of the teachers to the Decision Day service, 
 which was set for January on the Sunday when 
 occurred the Uniform lesson, " Jesus and Nico- 
 demus : the New Birth." He asked the teachers 
 to pray for the coming day and to impress the 
 points of the lessons which taught the necessity 
 
Before Decision Day 171 
 
 of a definite decision ; consulted with the pastor 
 so that lessons, church work and sermons led 
 up to the decision thought; talked with the 
 other officers about the program for the day, 
 music and addresses, until the whole body of 
 workers became intensely interested. 
 
 Several weeks in advance of the day each 
 teacher was given a blank form and asked to 
 write the name and address of each scholar not 
 a Christian. Then a meeting was called of all 
 the teachers who had unconverted scholars in 
 their classes, and the best means of reaching 
 them discussed. The teachers were asked to 
 pray for these scholars and to speak to them 
 personally about becoming Christians. Every 
 Christian in the school was urged to speak to a 
 neighbour who was not a Christian concerning 
 decision. 
 
 For several weeks half of the hour of the 
 weekly teachers' meeting was given to prayer 
 and earnest talks by the superintendent about 
 God's call to the work and the failure of any 
 teacher who does not make the salvation of 
 souls a chief objective. The pastor took this 
 subject for the weekly prayer-meeting, quoting 
 from the Scriptures regarding the children and 
 young people. He urged testimony from those 
 who had begun the Christian life in their youth. 
 
 In the Dundas Centre Methodist Sunday 
 School of London, Ontario, Decision Day came 
 
172 Plans for Sunday School Evangelism 
 
 at the close of three weeks of special services. 
 On the Sunday previous a teachers' prayer- 
 meeting was held before the school assembled 
 and the teachers were prepared for personal 
 conversation with their classes upon the neces- 
 sity for immediate decision for Christ. Cards 
 were given out in the classes to all who were 
 not already acknowledged Christians, with the 
 request that they make the matter of decision a 
 subject of daily prayer for the week, and return 
 the cards on Decision Day whether signed or 
 unsigned. There were two kinds of cards : one 
 for adults, in which was a request to be united 
 with some branch of the Christian Church, and 
 one for juniors, which contained a covenant to 
 be signed by parent or guardian who would 
 agree to assist the child to keep the decision 
 made. 
 
 On Decision Day the teaching of the lesson 
 was again taken up, in a personal way, for a 
 short time, and the cards were collected. Then 
 the pastor took charge of the school. He talked 
 for a short time. A season of prayer followed. 
 Then a hymn was sung, during which the pri- 
 mary classes retired and all who had not yet 
 made a decision, or were not prepared to do so 
 that day, were also allowed to leave the room. 
 The great majority of the school remained. In 
 this after-meeting the pastor pointed out the 
 way to Christ, and especially emphasized the 
 
Before Decision Day 173 
 
 necessity to (1) accept Him, (2) confess Him, 
 (3) follow Him. The session then closed with 
 some short, earnest prayers for those who had 
 decided for Christ and nearly all the teachers 
 participated. Forty-two cards were returned, 
 sixteen from adults and twenty-six signed by 
 juniors and by guardians or parents with one 
 exception. 
 
 2. Palm Sunday and the Lenten Season 
 
 In Chapter IX we have noted the use of Palm 
 Sunday as a specially favourable time for Deci- 
 sion Day. There is very much to be said for 
 the day, as it precedes Easter, the time of spir- 
 itual, and nature's, awakening, when the 
 thoughts of the Christian world and of youth 
 are centered upon the passion and the cross of 
 Christ. 
 
 The use of Palm Sunday and this season is 
 helpful too because of its favourable nature as a 
 preparatory period for the flowering of Easter 
 Day. 
 
 The pastor has a choice selection of subjects, 
 natural to the period, for the preparation of the 
 church and school. Each of the Sundays of 
 Lent should be utilized in preparing for a life 
 decision on the part of the unconverted, in 
 building the home upon a more spiritual foun- 
 dation and for a greater cultural interest in the 
 
1 74 Plans for Sunday School Evangelism 
 
 children, and of deepening the life of the Sun- 
 day School workers. 
 
 In this Lenten season the pastor should meet 
 teachers and parents in separate gatherings, ex- 
 plaining the place of the children in the plan 
 and heart of Christ and the necessity of homing 
 them in the membership r.nd life of the church 
 at an early age. 
 
 Provision should be made for a consecration 
 meeting; it may be in connection w^ith a week- 
 night communion service, when the Lord's Sup- 
 per should be personalized in its message. One 
 Brooklyn pastor brought all the mothers of the 
 enlisted boys together for communion and 
 prayer for their sons. Why could not this serv- 
 ice be used for mothers and fathers in the 
 interest of the Christian decision of their chil- 
 dren and their own consecration to higher 
 ideals of Christian life? 
 
 It is a time too when the pastor's, teachers' 
 and parents' personal word of appeal falls on 
 willing hearts, for Palm Sunday and Easter 
 seem to be God's time for calling His children 
 into vital relations to Himself. 
 
 3. A Preparatory " School of Instruction " 
 While it is customary for the pastor to organ- 
 ize a class of candidates for church membership 
 following Decision Day for purposes of training 
 in the meaning and requirements of church re- 
 
Before Decision Day 175 
 
 lation, it is not unusual to arrange such a class 
 in advance of Decision Day in order to prepare 
 the minds of the young people for an intelligent 
 decision. And yet such a class has a distinct 
 place and value. It can form the nucleus of the 
 class for preparation for membership. 
 
 A pastor of the Presbyterian Church at Spirit 
 Lake, Iowa, Rev. E. Winslow Brown, has con- 
 ducted such a preparatory class for the week 
 preceding Decision Day for several years, after- 
 noon and evening meetings being held daily in 
 order that scholars of different ages could at- 
 tend. One year his topics were : Sunday, " My 
 Father " ; Monday, " My Sins " ; Tuesday, " My 
 Saviour"; Wednesday, "My Faith"; Thurs- 
 day, " My Confession "; Friday, " My Work "; 
 Saturday, " My Church." 
 
 4. Preparing a " Census " 
 The plan of census taking in the Sunday 
 School preparatory to Decision Day is obtain- 
 ing favour. It is the businesslike method of 
 working in the light, instead of the dark, of 
 knowing the problem which has to be solved, 
 the material upon which the work and prayer 
 and appeal must be concentrated. 
 
 In the Rhode Island Sunday School Associa- 
 tion there is a Census and Decision Day Com- 
 mittee which issues the call for the observance 
 of these days by the schools of the State, ac- 
 
176 Plans for Sunday School Evangelism 
 
 cording to the usages of the different denomina- 
 tions. The purpose as announced is '* to record 
 the religious standing or attitude of every mem- 
 ber of your Sunday School and to win to a 
 Christian decision those who have not confessed 
 Christ or identified themselves with the 
 Church." 
 
 In my own school such a list of " prospects " 
 to be cultivated was prepared by the Spiritual 
 Work Committee of the school before our last 
 Decision Day. This list furnished a basis for 
 definite prayer at the teachers' gatherings; it 
 informs pastor, officers and teachers of the ex- 
 act nature of their task; it becomes a list to be 
 cultivated by carefully prepared letters. 
 
 A large concern in Chicago, that does an 
 enormous out-of-town business, makes it a 
 practice in their extension of business to go to 
 a town, make up a list of those who are not 
 customers, usually from the telephone direct- 
 ory, and then every five weeks to direct a letter 
 to these people until twenty-eight communica- 
 tions have been sent. They secure most of 
 their business after the twentieth letter. Oh, 
 for some such business enterprise in the busi- 
 ness of soul winning! 
 
 Census Sunday should be appointed three 
 weeks in advance of Decision Day. Lists of 
 class members and addresses should be made 
 up by the secretary for each teacher. Space 
 
Before Decision Day 177 
 
 should be left opposite each name to indicate 
 whether church member, or a Christian and 
 not a church member, or not a Christian as yet. 
 
 Teachers should make up these markings 
 outside of the class session if possible, so that 
 the scholars will not be placed in the position 
 before their fellows of being analyzed and 
 marked up or down. The quiet hunt is always 
 best in such work and unnecessary opposition 
 and antagonism should not be invited by unwise 
 methods of procedure. Any wise teacher can 
 secure what is wanted without trouble. 
 
 The results will go to the Committee on 
 Evangelism to be tabulated in book or card 
 form, so that the spiritual status and progress of 
 every scholar will be known. This committee 
 is the spiritual rating or credit department of 
 the school and their concern should be to bring 
 every scholar into an A-1 spiritual marking as 
 to life and service. 
 
 5. Preparation of Teachers 
 
 In the " one month " and " one week " and 
 other plans above suggested the importance of 
 the preparation of the teacher by prayer, con- 
 ferences, sermon and consecration gatherings 
 have been stressed. 
 
 Reference to Chapter X will prove fruitful in 
 the suggestion of letters to be sent to the 
 
178 Plans for Sunday School Evangelism 
 
 teacher by pastor and superintendent before 
 Decision Day. 
 
 Most important is it that the right literature 
 be in the teacher's hands, such as " My Class 
 for Jesus," " Little Parishes of Eight," as out- 
 lined in Chapter XIV. 
 
 The teacher should know specifically what is 
 required of him before, on, and after, Decision 
 Day, and most teachersl, when properly in- 
 formed, will measure up. 
 
 Dr. Howard Agnew Johnston, of New York, 
 called his teachers together for a preparatory 
 Decision Day talk. He told them in detail what 
 he proposed to do himself and what he wanted 
 them to do. He said that he wanted the 
 teachers to have their scholars in church on the 
 morning of Decision Day with as many parents 
 as possible. He then proposed to preach a defi- 
 nite sermon on the important matter of decid- 
 ing for Christ. At the next session of the 
 school he expected to come into the school and 
 invite all scholars who wanted to talk with him 
 personally about the matter of deciding for 
 Christ to remain behind after the close of the 
 session. He asked the teachers to see that 
 those scholars who were serious-minded re- 
 mained. He urged that the teachers point 
 home to their scholars the two lessons before 
 Decision Day, these lessons being specially per- 
 tinent to their relationship to Christ. That sort 
 
Before Decision Day 179 
 
 of presentation by an interested pastor brings 
 results. 
 
 Mrs. M. G. Kennedy calls attention to the 
 word Decision as having its root in the old 
 Latin word coedo, to cut, cutting off from, and 
 away from, all but one thing. For the teacher, 
 she says, " Many things must be cut off, some 
 right and pleasant, some perhaps not clearly 
 right. If Decision Day shall be one of God's 
 great days business men must take of their rest 
 hours, women will find less time for fancy work, 
 social calls, evening amusements. If the heart 
 is enlisted there will be notes to write, calls of 
 a different sort to make, Bibles to be studied. 
 There will be an added sense of responsibiUty 
 that will unfit one for some of the amusements 
 heretofore indulged in. There will be wakeful 
 hours and much prayer. There will be fresh 
 study, from perhaps a different point of view, of 
 the homes of your pupils, their ancestry, their 
 habits, their temperaments, their companions, 
 their interests. There will be extra teachers* 
 meetings to attend." 
 
 " Psychology and pedagogy will have their 
 place, but the chief place will be given to learn- 
 ing how to capture the heart." Said a great 
 teacher, "A gold key is useless unless it fits 
 the wards of the lock. I had to set myself in 
 every way to make myself into a wooden key 
 which would have the one merit of a key, how- 
 
l8o Plans for Sunday School Evangelism 
 
 ever common it might look — the merit of fitting 
 the lock and unlocking the minds and opening 
 the shut chambers of the heart in those street 
 boys of mine." 
 
 In the weekly teachers' meeting, or in special 
 meetings for teachers before Decision Day, the 
 superintendent can help the teacher by discuss- 
 ing such topics as "The impression that lasts: 
 am I aiming for it? " " How am I to make the 
 pupils feel the lesson is for them personally? " 
 " How can we make the spiritual impression on 
 our scholars?" "The spiritual appeal; how 
 and when should it be made? " " Do I expect 
 definite results from my work? " 
 
 6. Preparation of Parents 
 This angle has been treated quite fully under 
 Home Cooperation and the relationship to the 
 parent by the pastor, superintendent and 
 teacher, and forms of letters to parents. 
 
 Among these influences that shall bring the 
 home into active partnership with the school in 
 its spiritual task we must place special em- 
 phasis upon family prayer, the face to face talk 
 with the parent by pastor or superintendent or 
 teacher, the value of the letter inclosing helpful 
 literature, the enlistment of the parent in some 
 department of the school's activities. 
 
 7. Preparation of the Scholars 
 (a) See that the atmosphere of the school 
 
Before Decision Day 181 
 
 Is kept such as will recommend the Christian 
 life as the brightest, best, happiest, most neces- 
 sary experience. 
 
 (b) For some weeks in advance of Decision 
 Day the superintendent or pastor should 
 emphasize in bright five to ten minute platform 
 talks, with illustrations within the compass of 
 the experience of the scholars, the great topics, 
 Sin, Saviour or Salvation, Repentance, Faith. 
 
 (c) The superintendent should see that 
 Scripture selections, the music, the lesson set- 
 ting and emphasis for several weeks before 
 Decision Day shall be helpful in deepening the 
 impressions that shall mature in a decision for 
 Christ. 
 
 (d) Utilize the power of a ten minute testi- 
 mony service following the lesson before Deci- 
 sion Day. Somehow these testimonies from 
 those they know makes religion more real to 
 the scholars. Reference has been made to the 
 twenty minute testimony and prayer service 
 which always follows the session of Mr. Wana- 
 maker's school. 
 
 (e) Don't spring an appeal any Sunday 
 unless an approach has been made by some 
 incident, song, lesson, some natural setting for 
 an invitation to Christ. It will not be found 
 difHcult to discover these contacts if one is 
 living, and looking, for them. 
 
 (/) Promote a happy, wholesome anticipa- 
 
i82 Plans for Sunday School Evangelism 
 
 tion of Decision Day. It should be less in the 
 nature of a line to be crossed, and more of the 
 character of a bright culmination. It will not 
 of course be in the nature of a social announce- 
 ment but rather as of some high festival of 
 church life in which all are concerned as a 
 matter of course. It will not be fenced off as a 
 solemn occasion quite apart from everything 
 else, but interwoven with the very life and heart 
 of the school. 
 
 (g) Guide the scholars' reading. Superin- 
 tendent and teacher can create in the scholars* 
 minds the right ideals to assist in a Christian 
 decision by suggestion, on a school bulletin- 
 board, from the platform, or preferably through 
 the teacher, of certain books of a character- 
 making sort. Youth is the time of suscepti- 
 bility^ to the appeal of life and the stories of 
 pure, strong, heroic living will inevitably create 
 a desire to imitate such lives, just as certainly as 
 evil reading affects choices toward low levels. 
 Such books as Uganda's "White Man at 
 Work," " The Life of John Paton " or " Liv- 
 ingstone " will stimulate a boy to noble think- 
 ing. 
 
 (h) I have referred to " instruction classes " 
 to be conducted by the pastor previous to 
 Decision Day. These classes will secure better 
 results if arranged in departmental groups, so 
 that the instruction can be properly graded. 
 
Before Decision Day 183 
 
 At no point in the school work is it more im- 
 portant than this that the guidance of the soul 
 to Christ and into service shall be simple, clear, 
 so that each scholar shall say, " I see," and 
 shall follow gladly the revealed Christ. 
 
 The cooperation of department superintend- 
 ents and teachers is essential to encourage at- 
 tendance at these graded classes. Indeed the 
 pastor must lean upon some of these helpers in 
 order to obtain leaders for these instruction 
 classes. 
 
XII 
 
 DECISION DAY 
 
 I. Why Decision Day 
 
 DECISION DAY is not a matter of 
 choice but of necessity if we shall not 
 wrong the child. We must give the 
 scholar a chance, and, as homes are now con- 
 stituted, possibly the only chance, to know his 
 personal relationship to Christ and to enter the 
 long road of companionship with, and service 
 for, his Friend. It should really be an intro- 
 duction day when the pact of a lifelong friend- 
 ship shall be consummated and the real, happy, 
 satisfying, expanding life shall begin with Jesus 
 Christ. 
 
 Dr. Mullins says that the day is important 
 in giving outward expression to discipleship 
 wherever it exists; that we should lead by ex- 
 planation rather than to sweep them in by a 
 freshet; and that we should make absolutely 
 clear what is desired of them. 
 
 Dr. E. S. Lewis says there are five laws which 
 support the modern method of Decision Day. 
 
 184 
 
Decision Day 185 
 
 7a) The taw of the Harvest. 
 
 " There is a time to sow and a time to reap." 
 There is a time to instruct, to stimulate, to 
 deepen thought, to awaken the imagination, to 
 train the will, to accumulate facts, to form 
 ideals; but there comes another time; a time for 
 the culmination of all these things as means 
 converging upon a common end. There is a 
 time for gathering up all these forces together 
 in one supreme act of the will, whereby the 
 general choice of righteousness is made for life 
 and forever, and the soul is given to God in an 
 everlasting covenant. 
 
 (b) The Law of the Individual, 
 
 " The man makes the decision, and the deci- 
 sion makes the man." Every device that facili- 
 tates and intensifies decision tends powerfully 
 toward the perfection of the individual. 
 
 (c) The Law of the Spirit. 
 
 We live and move and have our being in a 
 world of spirits. We are spirits and God's 
 Spirit is regnant in us. He seeks us and 
 waits to cooperate with us and to bring our 
 efforts for souls to their lofty ends. This is the 
 domain of prayer. There is a mighty law 
 whereby we may commune with the Spirit and 
 seek His infinite aid . . . for the soul of 
 His creation. We may pray for Decision Day. 
 
l86 Plans for Sunday School Evangelism 
 
 (d) The Law of Influence. 
 
 In nothing may a teacher's influence culmi- 
 nate as appropriately as in soul winning. His 
 real work and his greatest success lie in the 
 silent, constant, loving, potent influence that 
 works at close quarters with the naked soul of 
 his pupil. 
 
 (e) The Law of Example. 
 
 When one soul makes a decision for Christ 
 every other within its reach is powerfully 
 moved. Nothing seems to rouse the careless 
 soul like this. In the work of Decision Day 
 this law may be depended upon for surprising 
 aid. By the example of one shall many be 
 made righteous. 
 
 2. Origin of Decision Day 
 While in some form a decision day in the 
 Sunday School has always existed where the 
 church was alive to its evangelistic opportunity, 
 the day, as it has been modernly observed, was, 
 according to The Sunday School Times, incorpo- 
 rated into the organized Sunday School move- 
 ment as the result of an article by E. F. Wescott 
 of Newark, N. J., in the fall of 1896 in the New 
 Jersey State Sunday School Evangel, under the 
 title " Decision Day." 
 
 This article opens: "I have long felt im- 
 pressed with the fact that we are missing in our 
 
Decision Day 187 
 
 united Sunday School work one of the golden 
 opportunities for gathering the children com- 
 mitted to our care into the fold of our Re- 
 deemer, by not having a special Sunday, at least 
 once in each quarter, set apart and recognized 
 as Decision Day." 
 
 This article was written by Mr. Wescott at 
 the urgent request of Dr. George W. Bailey of 
 Philadelphia, with whom Mr. Wescott con- 
 ferred as to the plan. Dr. Bailey was later 
 chairman of the Executive Committee of the 
 World's Sunday School Association and through 
 his leaflets, plans and spiritual enthusiasm, was 
 a leader in popularizing the Sunday School 
 Decision Day and in spreading Sunday School 
 evangelism around the world. 
 
 The article printed in the Evangel was copied 
 into The Ohio Sunday School Worker, The Aus- 
 tralian Sunday School Teacher, The Missouri Sun- 
 day School Messenger and other papers. Thou- 
 sands of leaflets were distributed at Interna- 
 tional, State and County Conventions to bring 
 about a quick observance of the day. 
 
 3. Time for Decision Day 
 A Sunday in the latter part of January or the 
 first part of February has usually been selected 
 in order to fit into the evangelistic programs of 
 the individual churches which have been usually 
 made for that period. There has been increas- 
 
i88 Plans for Sunday School Evangelism 
 
 ing emphasis upon other times for the observ- 
 ance of the day because of the close relation be- 
 tween the call of nature and the call of the 
 Spirit, or the opportunity afforded by church 
 days or important national holidays. 
 
 Such opportunities come on Rally Day, the 
 Sunday before Thanksgiving, the last Sunday 
 of the year, the first Sunday in the New Year, 
 the first Sunday in Lent, Palm Sunday, Chil- 
 dren's Day. 
 
 While the long and special preparation sug- 
 gested in these chapters for Decision Day may 
 not be made for the use of these special days for 
 decisions for Christ, there is good reason why 
 three or four days a few months apart might 
 well be chosen for an appeal. Such a distribu- 
 tion might fall on the Sunday before Thanks- 
 giving, a Decision Day in January, Palm Sun- 
 day and Children's Day. Indeed, where there 
 is a monthly reception of members, the appeal 
 may be made in the school on the Sunday before 
 reception. Any time when a pastor or teacher 
 or superintendent sees that the harvest is ripe, 
 the sickle should be thrust in whether that be a 
 recognized Decision Day or not. 
 
 4. Other Names for or Forms of Decision Day 
 
 (a) Crusaders' Day, 
 
 This is an appeal to the heroic, especially ap- 
 plicable to the Junior and Intermediate Depart- 
 
Decision Day 189 
 
 merits. The story of the Crusaders can be told, 
 the call for Christian crusaders to-day empha- 
 sized, some appropriate hymns sung. The cross 
 will be made central in the thinking of all, and 
 an appeal be made for enhstment, and crusaders' 
 cards distributed. 
 
 (b) Acknowledgment Day. 
 
 Palm Sunday lends itself to this day. It was 
 the children who hailed Christ as the Messiah 
 King. It was they who prepared the way for 
 His entrance into the city. Preparation of the 
 heart for His entrance now — acknowledgment 
 of Him as the King over the life — these form a 
 natural plan of approach in appeal. One of the 
 form cards in Chapter X relates to Acknowl- 
 edgment Day. And the fact that Easter fol- 
 lows gives opportunity for open acknowledg- 
 ment through church membership. 
 
 (c) Enlistment Day. 
 
 The patriotic days are the natural times for 
 Enlistm.ent Day. The country's need, the 
 country's call, are natural corollaries to the call 
 of Christ, the need of the world, the challenge 
 for high service. With such a call there should 
 be presented the special lines of service open to 
 those enlisting. Many will act, where the con- 
 fession of the lip comes not so easy. 
 
190 Plans for Sunday School Evangelism 
 
 (d) Witnessing Day. 
 
 This is sometimes called Confession or Testi- 
 mony Day, and has been observed in many 
 schools with success. Palm Sunday may well 
 be used for Witnessing Day. 
 
 The purpose of Witnessing Day is to give 
 expression by voice to decisions previously 
 made. The line of preparation is largely similar 
 to that suggested for Decision Day, the dififer- 
 ence being that decisions are sought for through 
 the personal work of the teacher, or the work of 
 superintendent and pastor, before Witnessing 
 Day. Some schools, however, simply change 
 the name of Decision Day to Witness Day, us- 
 ing the same general methods that prevail on 
 Decision Day. 
 
 In Mr. W. E. Carpenter's School (First 
 M. E.) at Brazil, Indiana, after four weeks of 
 prayer and planning by the teachers. Witness- 
 ing Day was observed. Each teacher was in- 
 structed that during the class hour each class 
 should witness for Christ with the teacher as a 
 leader. Many of the scholars in all the classes 
 gave testimonies in the class. The classes then 
 came together in the main room and after song 
 and prayer, the entire school was asked to give 
 personal testimonies for Christ. These be- 
 came general. Entire classes gave testimony 
 of their love for Christ. More than four hun- 
 dred personal testimonies were thus given. At 
 
Decision Day 19 1 
 
 the close four hundred more arose as their 
 united testimony to the fact, " I do love Jesus 
 with all my heart." This Witnessing Day in 
 that school followed Decision Day. 
 
 Witnessing Day gives opportunity for all to 
 take part. The testimonies of those who are 
 Christians will often help others to decide then 
 and there for Christ so that decisions may well 
 be asked for at the close of such a testimony 
 service. 
 
 (e) Forward Step Day. 
 
 This plan is not generally used for pupils 
 under twelve. The advantage of the day is 
 that it is for both Christians and non-Christians. 
 
 In Forward Step Day the general services 
 and all the preliminaries are practically the 
 same as for Decision Day. At the right time 
 in the service pledge cards are distributed and 
 everybody is asked to check the step or steps 
 they will take and to sign his name. 
 
 Provision can be made on the card for deci- 
 sions for Christ and the church. It is not neces- 
 sary to make overmuch explanation of these 
 Forward Steps, for they speak for themselves 
 if printed on the card. The following are some 
 steps actually taken by young people at a For- 
 ward Step meeting. 
 
 " I am a Christian but want to live nearer to 
 God." 
 
192 Plans for Sunday School Evangelism 
 
 " My Forward Step is to go to church more 
 regularly." 
 
 " I mean to pray more." 
 
 " I will read my Bible every day." 
 
 " I will study my Sunday School lesson bet- 
 ter." 
 
 " I will cut out the cigarettes." 
 
 " I will stop swearing." 
 
 " I will stop reading bad books." 
 
 " I want to be a Christian." 
 
 " I have decided to lead a Christian life." 
 
 " I want to unite with the church." 
 
 " I desire to give my whole life to Christian 
 service." 
 
 Instead of cards with printed suggested For- 
 ward Steps to be checked, blank cards could be 
 given out and each one can write out his own 
 Forward Step aided by a few suggestions from 
 the platform. 
 
 Great blessings have followed the wise ob- 
 servance of Forward Step Day. Almost every- 
 body will write some new Forward Step when 
 the opportunity is given. 
 
 It is unnecessary to emphasize how impor- 
 tant is the follow up work after the recording 
 of these decisions on Forward Step Day. The 
 pastor, superintendent and committee should 
 carefully diagnose the cases and outline the 
 proper treatment for each case. 
 
Decision Day 193 
 
 5. Decision Day Preaching Service 
 If the church service is held before the Sun- 
 day School Decision Day service the pastor has 
 opportunity for reaching the children with a 
 special ten minute talk appropriate to the day 
 and the adults as well. Joshua 24:15 is sug- 
 gestive of possible texts for that service. 
 
 The parents and teachers might well be called 
 to the front at the conclusion of that service 
 for consecration and prayer. 
 
 The evening service on Decision Day should 
 furnish the occasion for testimony and appeal 
 to those who had not come to a decision earlier 
 in the day. 
 
 6. The Young People's Service 
 The usual Sunday service of the young peo- 
 ple's organization is likely to follow the Deci- 
 sion Day service in the Sunday School and can 
 be utilized for testimony, consecration and de- 
 cision. 
 
 7. Decision Day School Program 
 (a) The program suggested in Decision 
 Day Leaflet No. 1 International Sunday School 
 Association will be found helpful. 
 
 (1) Every effort should be made to secure 
 the prompt attendance of every officer and 
 teacher on this day. 
 
 (2) If possible arrange for a special prayer- 
 
194 Plans for Sunday School Evangelism 
 
 meeting preceding the opening of the school. 
 If the school meets at noon arrange this meet- 
 ing before the church service. 
 
 (3) Have as little business as possible and 
 attend to it in the early part of the session. 
 
 (4) During the opening exercises spend 
 more time than usual in prayer. (Possibly sev- 
 eral short prayers by different teachers, pre- 
 viously notified, would be better than one 
 prayer by the superintendent.) 
 
 (5) Great care should be taken in selecting 
 the songs. Do not select any songs that are 
 new and inappropriate. 
 
 (6) If the lesson is taught by the teachers, 
 let them take less time than usual. Many 
 schools omit the lesson entirely. This should 
 be the teacher's opportunity for making a spe- 
 cial appeal to the scholars. 
 
 (7) Let the pastor, superintendent or some 
 one else previously chosen, take the platform, 
 and according to the custom of the church, in- 
 vite the scholars publicly to accept and confess 
 Christ. Where public invitation is given it has 
 been found to be wise to invite the boys first, as 
 the girls will usually make the first start if the 
 invitation is general, and then the boys dislike 
 to follow them. 
 
 (8) Be careful to secure the name and ad- 
 dress of each one who makes a decision for 
 Christ. A meeting of all such scholars at the 
 
Decision Day 195 
 
 close of Sunday School, or soon thereafter, is 
 very helpful. 
 
 (9) Where confession cards are used some 
 advise giving the scholars who sign them copies 
 to take home with them. These cards should 
 be carefully explained from the platform, and 
 by the teacher of the class, before they are 
 signed. 
 
 (b) Dr. Jesse L. Hurlbut has outlined the 
 following steps for the Decision Day service : 
 
 (1) Let all the teachers be assembled for 
 prayer half an hour before the school opening. 
 Urge every teacher and officer to be present. 
 Let every teacher utter a brief prayer for his 
 own class and for the school. 
 
 (2) Let the lesson be shortened on this day 
 but never entirely omitted. 
 
 (3) Let all under ten be dismissed for their 
 own appropriate service. 
 
 (4) After the lesson allow some time, agreed 
 upon previously, for teachers to talk to their 
 pupils with regard to immediate consecration to 
 Christ and of confession of Him. 
 
 (5) Let the pastor make an appeal for deci- 
 sion. This should not be emotional or exciting. 
 Let him tell no pathetic stories and call forth 
 no tears. Men and women may be rightfully 
 stirred up, but not children. Let the decision 
 be made calmly, thoughtfully, but in whatever 
 outward form may be deemed wisest. 
 
196 Plans for Sunday School Evangelism 
 
 (6) In the most successful Decision Day 
 service that I ever saw the teachers arose one 
 by one and gave some such report as this: 
 " There are eight scholars in my class, of whom 
 seven are present. Three are already members 
 of the church, and three others have to-day 
 promised to become Christians." 
 
 (7) Teachers should take names and ad- 
 dresses of those who have pledged themselves 
 to the service of Christ and give these to the 
 pastor. Immediately after the school session 
 these young people should be met by the pastor. 
 Each one should be shepherded until he is re- 
 ceived into the church. 
 
 (c) Among some successful Decision Day 
 meetings these may be cited: 
 
 At the Calvary Baptist Sunday School of 
 Westerly, R. L, the usual preparation had been 
 made. On the appointed day, after the lesson 
 study of " Jesus, the Bread of Life," the pastor 
 spoke to the school, exclusive of the Primary 
 Department, emphasizing Jesus' welcome to all 
 who sought eternal life, His welcome to chil- 
 dren as well as to adults, the long years of serv- 
 ice before a young Christian, Christ's death that 
 we might have eternal life. The pastor asked 
 for any one, young or old, who had given him- 
 self to Christ and was sorry for it to arise and 
 say so. No one responded. Then he asked all 
 who wanted to love and serve Christ to raise 
 
Decision Day 197 
 
 their hands. Every boy and girl, not a mem- 
 ber of the church, responded to this challenge. 
 Decision cards were then distributed, and were 
 taken home to have the matter talked over with 
 the parents. Nearly all of the scholars brought 
 these cards back signed the following Sunday. 
 
 At the North Avenue Methodist Episcopal 
 Sunday School, Allegheny, the teachers met 
 for a twenty-minute service before the ses- 
 sion. Appropriate hymns were sung in the 
 school opening, responsive readings and special 
 music were omitted and the classes went di- 
 rectly to their places. The teachers were asked 
 to press the necessity for a real relationship to 
 Jesus as Saviour and Friend. The classes were 
 given fifteen minutes, then called into the main 
 room, where the pastor and superintendent 
 each made short addresses pleading with young 
 men and young women, boys and girls, to give 
 themselves to God. There was absolute quiet, 
 no excitement; then, one after another, sixty 
 members of the school indicated their purpose 
 to begin the Christian life. Their names were 
 taken and given to the pastor. Decision Day 
 in this school is not the end, but the beginning, 
 of the special evangelistic work of the school. 
 
 In the First United Brethren Church, Cham- 
 bersburg, Pa., nearly every teacher was present 
 on Decision Day at 9 : 15. They prayed ear- 
 nestly for definite decisions by each one in their 
 
198 Plans for Sunday School Evangelism 
 
 classes. They were given slips for distribution 
 to their classes at the appropriate time. After 
 the brief lesson a soul-touching song was sung, 
 a few fervent prayers offered by teachers and a 
 tender appeal made by the pastor. Then all 
 who were willing to make a decision and con- 
 fess Christ were asked to stand. Nearly all 
 who signed their names stood. An after serv- 
 ice of these and their teachers became a time of 
 prayer for forgiveness and for the finding of 
 Christ as a personal Saviour. At three o'clock 
 that day the pastor, teachers and these scholars 
 met for special instruction. Nearly all united 
 with the church and were faithful. 
 
 In my own school the plan has been varied. 
 There have been the preliminary meetings. 
 The personal appeal has sometimes been made 
 by the teacher who distributed cards. Some- 
 times the pastor and superintendent have made 
 the appeal and the cards have been signed while 
 silent prayer was being offered by the Chris- 
 tians present. At other times letters have been 
 sent during the previous week, enclosing cards, 
 and these cards were returned on Decision Day. 
 We have had separate departmental services, 
 and the senior young men and young women 
 have had separate services. We have again in- 
 vited the young people forward at a straight 
 altar service. All these methods have proved 
 fruitful. The results with us, of Decision Day 
 
Decision Day 199 
 
 and other efforts, is an annual church ingather- 
 ing from the school of two hundred scholars. 
 
 Rev. Harold Kennedy, Philadelphia, empha- 
 sized the use of the Bible itself in making the 
 appeal, the passages being read by the leader or 
 distributed in slips to different teachers. For 
 instance, " Whys " (" Turn ye, for why will ye 
 die "), ("Why should ye be stricken any more," 
 etc.), or "How longs" ("How long halt ye," 
 etc.), "Excuses," "Hindrances," and the like 
 are impressive for this purpose. 
 
 8. Departmental Decision Day Appeals 
 The necessity for grading the evangelistic ap- 
 peal in the Sunday School has been suggested 
 in a previous chapter. What forms of appeal 
 can be suggested for the varying ages and ex- 
 perience? 
 
 (a) Primary Department. 
 
 In this department it is not advisable to call 
 upon the children to forsake a life of sin and 
 choose to serve the Lord. Here the affections 
 should be trained. We must develop love for 
 God and for others. " It is a period of impres- 
 sion and the impression is made by the atmos- 
 phere in the school and the personality of the 
 teacher." 
 
 The spiritual atmosphere of Decision Day is 
 sure to pervade the Primary Department. The 
 
200 Plans for Sunday School Evangelism 
 
 preparation for Decision Day must affect the 
 teachers of the primary grades. 
 
 " Florists are very careful not to force the 
 young cutting. A cutting from a pink is put 
 into damp white sand without a particle of rich- 
 ness in it. The atmosphere and the moisture 
 about its base are sufficient. The young and 
 tender roots keep constantly reaching out after 
 more nourishment and after a time it has a 
 fine root development which will support the 
 adult life of the plant. Not until these roots 
 are well developed is the plant put into richer 
 soil." 
 
 Let us assume the purpose of the primary 
 children to love and serve Christ, and help them 
 to make all their choices in view of this. 
 
 Miss Julia H. Johnston tells how on one De- 
 cision Day the teacher of a small primary class 
 gathered the children about her in a circle and 
 took pencil and paper in hand. In a bright but 
 earnest way she told them that in the other 
 room they were keeping Decision Day; that it 
 was a time to choose and that the teachers 
 wished their scholars to choose Jesus. She ex- 
 plained what it meant to choose — to take one 
 thing and leave another — to follow one leader 
 and not another who went in the opposite direc- 
 tion. She said that Jesus loved every one in 
 her class and wanted every child to love, trust 
 and follow Him. Each one was invited to make 
 
Decision Day 20l 
 
 a mark on the paper to show that he had made 
 his choice. Each scholar without hesitation 
 made his mark. She asked for how long the 
 choice was made and they said at once " Al- 
 ways." Then the little circle stood and each 
 child, with closed eyes and folded hands, re- 
 peated a sentence prayer after the teacher, ask- 
 ing Jesus' help. And these children later re- 
 membered these decisions in the things they 
 said and did. 
 
 Particularly would this plan apply to the 
 later primary years. 
 
 (b) Junior Department. . 
 
 The period from nine to twelve or thirteen, 
 and particularly from eleven to thirteen, is most 
 fruitful for Christian decision and there must 
 be real effort to have every junior definitely 
 choose Christ and His service before leaving 
 the department. This is the period of will 
 training and we must not simply ask them to 
 definitely choose to love, serve and obey Christ, 
 but suggest some concrete ways in which this 
 can be done, because the junior age is especially 
 the age of action. 
 
 In a large Junior Department in a Chicago 
 school Dr. Polhemus H. Swift states that on the 
 appointed day the opening exercises were made 
 as brief as possible. A short period was given 
 for lesson study. This lesson was especially 
 
202 Plans for Sunday School Evangelism 
 
 adapted to the program. The department was 
 called to order and the pastor took charge. 
 Some spirited and spiritual songs were sung. 
 During the next five minutes a dozen teachers 
 prayed pointedly that the boys and girls might 
 choose Christ that day. Then the pastor gave 
 a ten-minute talk on the text " What then shall 
 I do with Jesus? " Afterward a Decision Cov- 
 enant was distributed for signature. There 
 was perfect silence in the room as the pastor 
 asked, " How many teachers will covenant with 
 these young people that, if they will decide for 
 Christ, you will do everything in your power to 
 help them live for Him?" Every teacher in 
 the room arose and stood with bowed head. 
 Again the pastor asked, " How many of these 
 boys and girls have made the decision and 
 signed the card at our Friday night meeting? " 
 A large number arose and stood with the 
 teachers. Again the pastor spoke, " How many 
 would like to respond to the covenant of the 
 teachers and, as best they can, accept Jesus 
 Christ as Saviour and Lord?" A large num- 
 ber were on their feet in a moment. The pas- 
 tor explained briefly the promise : " Him that 
 cometh unto me I will in no wise cast out," and 
 then all knelt to join him in a consecration 
 prayer. When concluded the teachers distrib- 
 uted the " Decision Covenant " for signature, 
 and all were asked to sign it who purposed to 
 
Decision Day 203 
 
 trust Christ and live for Him every day the best 
 they could. Sixty-four cards were signed that 
 day and nearly all united the following Sunday 
 with the church. 
 
 In one Junior Department in Washington the 
 boys and girls were asked by the superintendent 
 to write their personal decisions. Here are 
 some of them : 
 
 " I do not think I have been acting just like a 
 Christian but I will try." 
 
 " I intend to be a servant of God my remain- 
 ing days," said a boy who united with the 
 church the following Sunday. 
 
 "I intend to be a Christian, but I do not 
 know whether I will join the church. I will 
 decide that after a while," wrote a boy who de- 
 cided it the next Sunday. 
 
 Said a girl : " I would love to be a Christian, 
 but I know I am not good enough, but I will try 
 to be, if God will help me." 
 
 From a boy : " I am a Christian and always 
 will be one whether in church or play. I am 
 going to have God for my father always." 
 
 " I choose this day to serve Christ, and to do 
 His will all my life," by a fine lad who came into 
 the church at once. 
 
 (c) Intermediate Department. 
 ' Carefully select the music for Decision Day. 
 "Coronation," "Jesus, Lover of My Soul," 
 
204 Pl^"s for Sunday School Evangelism 
 
 "Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty," 
 " Love Divine, All Love Excelling," will create 
 atmosphere without crowding the emotions un- 
 duly. Omit from opening exercises any unim- 
 portant notices. Do not drill in new music that 
 day. For the Scripture choose such as Psalm 
 51, or Isaiah 53, or part of John 14 or 15 or 16. 
 Be expeditious with class markings and the 
 offering. 
 
 Then have brief prayer by one or more 
 teachers, or silent prayer. The teachers then 
 can take the classes for a brief time. Pencil 
 and papers can be distributed and each scholar 
 can be asked to write his idea of what it is to be 
 a Christian. The teacher can wisely comment 
 upon some of these replies and can express his 
 earnest wish that all the class would decide to 
 be Christians of the highest type. If a word of 
 Christian experience can be given by teacher or 
 scholar it will help greatly. 
 
 These slips should be gathered and placed in 
 the hands of the pastor or superintendent for 
 use in the service or upon another Sunday. 
 The pastor should then show briefly, clearly, 
 from the platform, with aid of blackboard if pos- 
 sible, what a Christian is not and what a Chris- 
 tian is. Joshua's great Decision Day may well 
 be emphasized for the intermediates. 
 
 Some definite expression of decision should 
 be asked for by card, choosing one of the forms 
 
Decision Day 205 
 
 indicated in Chapter X, or by standing, or by 
 coming to the front to shake hands with pastor 
 and superintendent and to join in a prayer and 
 a verbal pledge of allegiance to Jesus Christ. 
 The names of all taking the step will be noted 
 and passed on to the pastor. 
 
 It is a most serious thing for an intermediate 
 scholar to fail to take an open stand for Christ 
 before he shall leave that department. The 
 chances are all against his making that decision 
 later on. 
 
 (d) The Senior Department. 
 
 Much the same form of service can be used 
 for the seniors as for the intermediates — as to 
 songs and the teacher's frank talk, and a class 
 discussion of what it means to be a Christian — 
 before the open service. 
 
 In our own Senior Decision Day services we 
 have used cards, the altar service, separate 
 meetings of the young men and young women. 
 Always the talk by pastor, superintendent or 
 other speaker has been most carefully prepared 
 to challenge the best in these young people in 
 view of the death and call of Christ, the need of 
 the world, the ideal service of Jesus Christ. 
 One Decision Day we distributed a special mes- 
 sage from Supreme Court Judge Fawcett (see 
 Chapter X), a former scholar and teacher in the 
 school, calling upon the young people to openly 
 
2o6 Plans for Sunday School Evangelism 
 
 commit themselves to Christ. These chal- 
 lenges always bear good fruit. 
 
 (e) The Parents* Department. 
 
 In no part of the school will Decision Day be 
 more fruitful than in the parents' classes. The 
 preliminaries here are not of such vital conse- 
 quence. It is important though that there be 
 the spirit of prayer, of seriousness without un- 
 necessary gravity; above all else of naturalness 
 and real joy in Christ. 
 
 This is a choice time to dwell upon the im- 
 portance of the parents* decision from the 
 standpoint of the home and the children, of the 
 tremendous valuer of example and Christian 
 home atmosphere in making worth-while char- 
 acter in the children, and of the great leverage 
 of the parents' " Come " in its influence upon 
 the child's and youth's choices. Prayer by the 
 parents, and for the parents, should follow, and 
 decisions should then and there be asked for 
 while bowing, or upon bended knee. If wisely 
 handled and followed up these parents' classes 
 can be won almost to the last member by the 
 right teacher, with the right message and the 
 right life. 
 
XIII 
 
 AFTER DECISION DAY 
 
 " A FTER the new birth comes the new 
 
 aJ^ life." With life there must be growth. 
 
 X JL We must provide for this. Young 
 
 Christians will need aid in the development of 
 
 their new capacities. 
 
 Dr. Mullins says that the young Christian 
 needs: 
 
 (a) Sympathy. He spoke of a young con- 
 vert who, on the first Sunday after conversion, 
 sat on the front seat of the church. No one 
 said anything to him. The next Sunday he sat 
 on the second seat. Still no attention. Then 
 he sat further back. Then he stayed away alto- 
 gether. No one expressed an interest in him 
 after conversion. The lamb struck a snow- 
 drift and perished. 
 
 Dr. Hatcher shook hands with the child who 
 had just joined the church and said, " You are 
 the youngest, I am the oldest, member of the 
 church." That child never forgot this word. 
 
 (b) He needs the Christian life interpreted 
 so as to strengthen assurance. A boy found a 
 ^earl in an oyster shell. He did not prize it 
 
 207 
 
2o8 Plans for Sunday School Evangelism 
 
 until the jeweler told him its value was $75 
 to $100. 
 
 (c) He needs work. His Christian fibre 
 can only be toughened by exercise in Christian 
 service. 
 
 Mrs. M. G. Kennedy emphasizes the follow- 
 ing important principles in dealing with young 
 Christians : 
 
 (a) Do not expect, nor even wish for, a 
 grandmother's religion. 
 
 (h) Do not make your own experience a 
 model nor let them think they must all be ex- 
 actly alike, as if moulded in a pattern. They 
 are not peas in a pod, but live boys and girls, 
 with differing temperaments and environments. 
 
 (c) Take care to direct your teachings to 
 the will. Feelings should crystallize into 
 thoughts; thoughts into action. 
 
 (d) Encourage them to talk, not only to 
 you, but before one another. But let this talk 
 be natural. Do not make prigs and Pharisees 
 out of them by forcing them to talk of experi- 
 ences they have not had, and which, as boys 
 and girls, you should not wish them to have. 
 
 (e) Teach from the very first not to confuse 
 the beginning of Christian life with the con- 
 tinuance of it. One of their greatest stum- 
 bling-blocks will be their own disappointment 
 at finding they are not at once perfect. They 
 expected to be so very good all of the time. 
 
After Decision Day 209 
 
 Then they fall. They are ashamed and dis- 
 couraged; think they must have been mistaken; 
 they cannot be Christians. Lately a teacher 
 asked, " Do you think you will ever get mad 
 again?" A chorus of "Oh, no!" Then one 
 girl said slowly, " I'm dreadfully afraid I shall." 
 The teacher asked, "What do you think you 
 will do about it? " " I know I'll be sorry right 
 away, and I should think Jesus would excuse 
 me and help me to try again." " What makes 
 you think He will? " " Why, our baby's ankles 
 are weak, and he tumbles down at every little 
 thing. But mother doesn't scold him, but picks 
 him up and kisses him, and holds his hand while 
 he tries again." Can you have better theology 
 or a clearer understanding than that? Charac- 
 ter building is not reached in an hour by an act 
 of decision which takes but a moment. But 
 built it must be. Stone by stone it should rise 
 ever upward. 
 
 (f) Teach your beginners from the start 
 not to depend on feeling. In beginning the 
 Christian life we begin a lifelong, an eternity 
 long, friendship with Jesus Christ. Our joy 
 comes from an increasing appreciation of Him 
 through a conscious relation to Him, and 
 through the reactions from our service for Him. 
 
 What methods are practicable as a follow-up 
 of the decision of the scholar that he may be 
 helped forward in his Christian life? 
 
210 Plans for Sunday School Evangelism 
 
 I. For Pastor or Superintendent or Both 
 
 (a) Have the scholar sign a card for church 
 membership. These Cc.rds may also include a 
 confession of personal faith in, and loyalty to 
 Jesus Christ. Forms of these cards will b 
 found in Chapter X. Copies of these cards 
 should be furnished the scholar to be kept in 
 his Bible. 
 
 (b) Drive for the joining of the church by 
 parents at the same time as their children. This 
 can be done by letter but preferably by a per- 
 sonal call, for there are objections frequently 
 raised by parents as to their children coming 
 into the church which must be met, as w^ell as 
 the lining up of the parents for church relation- 
 ship and a Christian home atmosphere for the 
 sake of both children and parents. 
 
 (c) The pastor can invite scholars, or their 
 parents, to his home for an individual talk. A 
 Chicago pastor made it a practice to invite the 
 children to his home on their way home from 
 school, setting the hour from four to five 
 o'clock. The adults he met in the evening. 
 Such a plan, if wisely followed, will secure the 
 intelligent allegiance of practically all who have 
 been moved to a decision for Christ. 
 
 (d) Pastor and superintendent can unite in 
 a letter of encouragement to the new disciple, 
 to be mailed shortly after Decision Day. That 
 letter may include some practical suggestions 
 
After Decision Day 21 1 
 
 for daily Bible reading and prayer, can invite to 
 a personal call or a group meeting, and can en- 
 close one of the many leaflets suggested in the 
 next chapter. 
 
 (e) Arrange for a Confession Day or Wit- 
 nessing Day. This should succeed Decision 
 Day, possibly the Sunday after, to give oppor- 
 tunity for a public stand for Christ in the class 
 or before the school. 
 
 One of the things that should be urged at 
 such meetings is to follow the command of the 
 Master, " Go home to thy friends and tell them 
 how great things the Lord hath done for thee.'* 
 This I know is difficult for young children, espe- 
 cially if the parents are not sympathetic. Mrs. 
 Kennedy tells of a girl of twelve who said, " Oh, 
 please, not to-day ! Let me wait a while till 
 maybe they can see for themselves. They 
 won't believe it to-day." Said the teacher: 
 " Well, suppose we let Mark 5 : 19 answer you." 
 The bright head drooped over the book for a 
 moment, then was raised, and slowly came the 
 decision : " He wouldn't say that if He wouldn't 
 help, would He? All right. I'll do it before I 
 go to bed." There was a boy of fifteen who, 
 having made that same decision, waited till two 
 o'clock in the morning for his parents to come 
 home from a ball. 
 
 Some use the opportunity of Confession or 
 Witnessing Day for the signing of cards rather 
 
'2 1 2 Plans for Sunday School Evangelism 
 
 than Decision Day. On the latter day a for- 
 ward step may be taken which will make the 
 signing of a clear expression of allegiance to 
 Christ the inevitable second step. The forms 
 for this are suggested in Chapter X. 
 
 (f) The pastor should organize classes for 
 the training of young converts. Reference has 
 been made to these classes in Chapter V. They 
 should be graded. He may need assistants for 
 this graded work. These classes may be tem- 
 porary in preparation for church membership 
 for a specific day, or permanent, if, as it should 
 be, his work of ingathering is continuous 
 throughout the year. 
 
 The material available for these classes is 
 known to most pastors. It could include some 
 of the material mentioned in the next chapter, 
 such as " Chapters of Blessing and Counsels on 
 the Way of Life" (Henderson); "Proba- 
 tioners' Handbook " (Hannan) ; " Just En- 
 listed " (Allen); "Turning Points" (Asker- 
 held) ; " Preparation for Church Membership " 
 (Gilbert) ; " Children's Meetings " (Lucy Rider 
 Meyer). 
 
 These meetings should be held at a time con- 
 venient for the young people. For those not in 
 high schools Friday afternoon is desirable. 
 For high school students Friday evening is best. 
 The evening is best for those in business, and 
 the early afternoon for the mothers. Some- 
 
After Decision Day 213 
 
 times Sunday afternoon has been found most 
 desirable for these special classes. 
 
 These classes should deal very clearly with 
 the practical questions which arise in the daily- 
 Christian life as well as those that come in con- 
 nection with becoming a member of the church. 
 Among such questions may be these: What is 
 it to be a Christian? What is it to believe on 
 the Lord Jesus Christ? Why should I be a 
 Christian? What shall I do on becoming a 
 Christian? How may I lead a Christian life? 
 What is the church, its sacraments, duties of 
 church members? 
 
 (g) A personal workers' class should be or- 
 ganized. This may be upon a different basis 
 than the class in preparation for membership. 
 It can and should include others beside con- 
 verts. It should include a course in personal 
 evangelism such as suggested in " Studies for 
 Personal Workers " (Johnston) ; " The Secret 
 of Soul Winning " (Shaw) ; " The Human Ele- 
 ment in the Making of a Christian " (Conde) ; 
 " Personal Work and the Personal Worker " 
 (Shelton). The course should include a thor- 
 ough drill on the marking and use of the Bible 
 to meet the questions and objections that are 
 raised in hand-to-hand work, so that the worker 
 shall be " thoroughly furnished, rightly dividing 
 the word of truth." 
 
 (h) Organize the young Christians for 
 
214 Plans for Sunday School Evangelism 
 
 church attendance. The " Go - to - Church 
 Band " is a very effective organization for chil- 
 dren and young people. The band should have 
 a reserved place in the church. They should 
 be given some part in the service, either regu- 
 larly or occasionally. The pastor's sermon, his 
 " little talk " or his big talk, should have them 
 in view. Recognition of their faithful attend- 
 ance should be publicly made at the year's end 
 by some appropriate gift. A church hymn- 
 book may well be given by the church to these 
 young people and certain hymns be recited by 
 the band on the occasion of recognition. 
 
 In John Wanamaker's school in Philadelphia 
 large groups of the Sunday School members are 
 seated in designated places in the gallery and 
 sing their hymns as a part of the church service. 
 
 (i) The teacher must be the pastor's assist- 
 ant in counselling with the convert, in reporting 
 to the pastor the special needs of the scholar. 
 There may be a conscious or unconscious stray- 
 ing of the life that the pastor should check, and 
 can check frequently, if he knows of it in time. 
 
 Especially can the teacher help in directing 
 the daily Bible reading, the time and form or 
 the content of prayer, the practical forms of 
 daily service for Christ. Life problems will be 
 sure to come to the fore in these more intimate 
 talks for prayer and counsel as to best methods 
 of meeting them. 
 
After Decision Day 2 1 5 
 
 (j) The young- Christian must be enlisted 
 in some service organization. The first impulse 
 of the Christian life is to serve. He should be 
 given a chance to express his Christian Hfe 
 through the " Win One Band," the " Sunshine 
 Band," " King's Messengers," in the church, 
 children's and young people's graded organiza- 
 tion, in a missionary organization, in a prayer 
 circle where definite prayer is offered for spe- 
 cific cases. His Christian life must grow 
 through this exercise. 
 
 Trumbull says, " What then is the end of our 
 Sunday School work? Character training for 
 service in the extension of the Kingdom." 
 
 (k) Plan for Service Day. This may be 
 used to tie up the young people to some imme- 
 diate personal or school or church service. 
 
 One Rally Day we secured a large number 
 of signatures to a card headed " My fagot for 
 the Rally Day Council Fire." The card I have 
 before me was checked by the scholar signing 
 it at no less than six of the seventeen sugges- 
 tions. 
 
 1. A purpose to be prompt in attendance. 
 
 2. Will sing as a soloist or secure a singer for spe- 
 
 cial occasions. 
 
 3. Will recite or secure a good recitationist. 
 
 4. Will assist in lettering, or artistic work, or in 
 
 decorations. 
 
 5. Will take Quarterly home and endeavour to use 
 
 it at least fifteen minutes weekly. 
 
2l6 Plans for Sunday School Evangelism 
 
 6. Will plan to read daily the Daily Bible Home 
 
 Reading. 
 
 7. Will act as a substitute teacher for once a month 
 
 service. 
 
 8. Will serve as a regular teacher. 
 
 9. I will take up a special teacher training course. 
 
 10. Will serve as a school worker. 
 
 11. I will decide to be a Christian. 
 
 12. I will decide to join the Church. 
 
 13. I will endeavour to secure at least one member 
 
 for Cradle Roll or Home Department, or some 
 other School Department, before December i, 
 1910. 
 
 14. I desire to enlist for a life service as a missionary, 
 
 minister, or some other form of definite Chris- 
 tian service. 
 
 15. I will endeavour to pray daily for my teacher, the 
 
 school, and for the salvation of the world. 
 
 16. I will endeavour each day to pass on a kindly 
 
 word, or deed, or smile. 
 
 17. My suggestion for improvement of the school or 
 
 the school exercises. 
 
 Name 
 
 Address 
 
 Class No. 
 
 (I) Analyze for life service. The call of the 
 Church in this day is for a large number of 
 trained workers for the ministry, the mission 
 fields, and many forms of special Christian serv- 
 ice. That leadership must come from the Sun- 
 day School. 
 
 The pastor, aided by a proper committee, 
 
After Decision Day 2 17 
 
 must analyze the material in the school and se- 
 lect for Christian instruction, and later for col- 
 lege training if they prove out, the likeliest of 
 his young people. In the future work of the 
 Church these young people must be picked, the 
 call placed before them and their training di- 
 rected. " A call is a need and a need made 
 known." Instead of waiting for these young 
 people to volunteer for life service, the Church 
 must lay its hands upon them and preempt 
 them for the Kingdom's service before other 
 callings claim their decision. 
 
 In one State of the Union it was the custom 
 on service day for the college to send its stu- 
 dents to the Sunday Schools to talk up college 
 training as the way for largest service, and the 
 Sunday School to send representatives to the 
 college to suggest the training of the students 
 for specific Sunday School service as a worth- 
 while objective. 
 
 The Presbyterian Church makes it a practice 
 to present to the Sunday Schools an annual ap- 
 peal for life service in the ministry of the 
 church. 
 
 I know that many of the young people in the 
 Sunday School will not be in position to select 
 the form of Christian service to which they are 
 best adapted until they have entered their col- 
 lege course. It is important for their sakes and 
 for the sake of the work to prevent misfits. 
 
2i8 Plans for Sunday School Evangelism 
 
 This, however, is the task of the church. It 
 should not be difficult for competent commit- 
 tees to discover capacities and to guide their 
 development. And we know, from the testi- 
 mony of many Christian workers, that the 
 choices which determined their service were 
 made in their early teens while members of the 
 Sunday School, and that practically all decisions 
 for Hfe service were made before eighteen years 
 of age. 
 
XIV 
 
 LITERATURE FOR SUNDAY SCHOOL 
 EVANGELISM 
 
 THE Committee on Evangelism would 
 do well to make a careful selection 
 from the lists which follow for a per- 
 manent library on Sunday School Evangelism, 
 these books to be kept in circulation by the 
 committee with pastor, officers, teachers and 
 parents the year around. This plan will deepen 
 and conserve the school's spiritual atmosphere 
 and objectives and key the workers and parents 
 for the best doing of their task. 
 
 Certain of these books and pamphlets are 
 adapted for circulation during the vveek or 
 month before Decision Day. Some of them 
 cover the needs of a personal worker's class or a 
 class for preparation for church membership, 
 these classes usually following Decision Day. 
 
 The leaflets may be enclosed in letters to 
 teachers or scholars preceding Decision Day. 
 The wisely written and wisely used leaflet is a 
 powerful adjunct to the written or personal 
 appeal. 
 
 BOOKS 
 
 General 
 
 The Sunday School as a Soul Winner. J. L. Hurl- 
 but. 
 Christ and the Young People. Frances E. Qark. 
 
 2x9 
 
220 Plans for Sunday School Evangelism 
 
 Sunset by the Lakeside. W. H. Foulkes^ 
 Letters on EvangeHsm. Hughes. 
 Casting the Net on the Right Side. McKinney.- 
 The Child's ReUgious Life. Koons. 
 Education in Religion and Morals. Coe. 
 The Spiritual Life. Coe. 
 Christian Nurture. Bushnell. 
 [Educational Evangelism. McKinley. 
 Natural Way in Moral Trailing. Du Bois. 
 Passion for Souls. Jowett. 
 Spiritual Life in the Sunday School. Chapman. 
 The Child for Christ. McKinney. 
 The Training of Children in Religion. Hodges. 
 The Unfolding Personality. Mark. 
 The Sunday School at Work (Part XI). 
 The Child as God's Child. C. W. Rischell. 
 The Meaning of Prayer. Fosdick. 
 Beckonings of Little Hands. Du Bois. 
 Pastoral and Personal Evangelism. Goodell. 
 What Every Christian Needs to Know. H. W. Pope. 
 The One to Win One Helper. Luther Todd. 
 The Child and His Religion. Dawson. 
 The Century of the Child. Key. 
 The Coming Generation. Forbush. 
 Practical Evangelism. Burgwin. 
 Spiritual Culture and Social Service. McFarland. 
 The Making of Character. McCunn. 
 The Passion for Men. Hallenbeck. 
 The Psychology of Religion. Starbuck. 
 Quiet Talks on Prayer. Gordon. 
 Quiet Talks on Power. Gordon. 
 Quiet Talks on Service. Gordon. 
 Our Children for Christ. Scudder. 
 Personal Appeals to Sunday School Workers. Joseph. 
 The Second Line of Defense. Slattery. 
 
 For the Teacher 
 How Can I Lead My Pupils to Christ. Pells 
 
Literature for Sunday School Evangelism 221 
 
 Little Parishes of Eight. Merriam. 
 
 Early Conversion of Sunday School Scholars. 
 
 Schauffler. 
 My Class for Jesus. 
 
 Winning Your Scholars to Christ and the Church. 
 The Devotional Life of the Sunday School Teacher. 
 
 Miller. 
 The Devotional Life of the Sunday School Worker. 
 
 Brewbaker. 
 The Life that Wins (pamphlet). Trumbull. 
 The Life that is Christ (pamphlet). Trumbull. 
 The Life in Christ. MuUins. 
 Paul's Joy in Christ. Robertson. 
 Secret of Power. Moody. 
 The Unfolding Life. Lamoreaux. 
 Unconscious Tuition. Huntington. 
 A Girl's Religion. Slattery. 
 The Graded Lessons and Evangelism. 
 Evangelistic Opportunity of the Graded Lessons. 
 Teaching to Save. 
 Letters on Evangelism. 
 The Morning Watch. Mott. 
 
 Bringing the Pupil to a Decision for Christ. Mabie. 
 God's Boy and God's Book. Schauffler. 
 A Boy's Religion, Hughes. 
 Winning the Boy. Merrill. 
 Living Teachers. Slattery. 
 The Teacher and Child. Mark. 
 Some Silent Teachers. Harrison. 
 Method in Soul Winning. Mabie. 
 
 Decision Day Leaflets and Pamphlets 
 Best Paying Business on Earth (International Sun- 
 day School Association). 
 What Am I Asked to Do on Decision Day? J. R. 
 
 Miller (Sunday School Times Co.). 
 That Means Me. Henderson (Methodist Book Con- 
 cern). 
 
222 Plans for Sunday School Evangelism 
 
 Will You Not Come? Havergal (American Tract 
 
 Society). 
 Spiritual Work in the Sunday School (New Jersey 
 
 State Sunday School Association). 
 wru T • • *t, r- 11 ^ J* Williams Butcher, Wes- 
 
 WhyShouMn-tl. | i^XSTSdol' 
 
 Yours. F. B, Hoagland. 
 
 Turning Points. Dr. Osterheld (Methodist Book 
 Concern). 
 
 Decision Day and How to Use It (Pilgrim Press). 
 
 Preservation vs. the Rescue of the Child. McFar- 
 land (Methodist Book Concern). 
 
 Decision Day. Henderson (Methodist Book Con- 
 cern). 
 
 Decision Day in the Sunday School. Chapman (Gen- 
 eral Assembly Presbyterian Church). 
 
 Decision Day in the Sunday School. H. W. Pope. 
 
 A Soul Saving Sunday School. Wells. 
 
 Bringing Pupils to a Decision for Christ. Mabie. 
 
 Our Children for Christ. Scudder. 
 
 The Normal Age of Conversion (Methodist Book 
 Concern). 
 
 Spiritual Life in the Sunday School. Downey 
 (Methodist Book Concern). 
 
 Books Following Decision Day 
 Becoming a Christian. McAfee. 
 Becoming a Church Member. McAfee. 
 Becoming a Helper. McAfee. 
 Why Join the Church. David C. Cook. 
 The Church and Church Membership. David C. 
 
 Cook. 
 Witness Day in the Sunday School. David C. Cook. 
 The Boy and the Church. Foster. 
 First Principles for Young Christians. Hannan. 
 Preparation for Church Membership. Gilbert. 
 
Literature for Sunday School Evangelism 223 
 
 Chapters of Blessing and Counsels on the Way of 
 
 Life. Henderson. 
 Just Enlisted. Ernest B. Allen. 
 Children's Meetings. Lucy Rider Meyer, 
 
 Personal Workers' Group 
 Individual Work for Individuals. Trumbull. 
 Fundamentals (Leaflet). 
 Personal Work in Soul Winning (Leaflet). Men's 
 
 Personal Work League. 
 Fishin' fer Men. Clark. 
 Catching Men Alive. Trumbull. 
 The Human Element in the Making of a Christian. 
 
 Conde. 
 The Art of Soul Winning. J. W. Mahood. 
 Personal Work and the Personal Worker. Shelton. 
 The Personal Worker's Guide. Chapman. 
 Winning One at a Time. Camp. 
 The Secret of Soul Winning. Shaw. 
 Studies for Personal Workers. Johnston. 
 The Price of Winning Souls. Goodell. 
 Studies in Personal Work. Johnston. 
 How to Bring Men to Christ. Torrey. 
 Evangelism Through Bible Study. Goo'dman. 
 Lessons for Christian Workers. Yatman. 
 
 "Decision Day and Sunday-school Evangelism pamphlets 
 and leaflets issued by the Board of Sunday Schools, M. E. 
 Church, 58 East Washington St., Chicago, 111., and by the 
 Sunday-school Board, M. E. Church South, 8io Broadway, 
 Nashville, Tenn." v 
 
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